Aversion Theory
by Calkat
Summary: MaixNaru Mai knows there are a lot of theories. She's familiar enough with Murphy's Law. But Naru's back from London, she's working for him again and beginning to think she's developed an aversion to her boss, a little like polarity. He pushes, she pulls.
1. The Art of Respecting the Dead

**Aversion Theory**

Chapter 1: The Art of Respecting the Dead

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AN: This is going to be a 5-parter, but as such each chapter is a tad lengthy (5,000-10,000 words), so if you decide to read this, I suggest that you set out some spare time (so I'm warning the readers as a preemptive word of caution.) I'm hoping you like it, at least a little bit and that will be enough for me.

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12.15.09

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Mai didn't know what to expect when she saw the house. Judging from the caustic words their young teenage client had used to describe it, specifically, decrepit, pile of crap, broken and the most important: 'should be burned to the ground,' Mai hadn't guessed just how beautiful and picturesque the place would be. Certainly it wasn't in the best condition, but the girl spoke like it had been a dump. This place was…oddly magnificent even in its minute squalor.

The teen had apparently wanted to let the workers of S.P.R. know just how fond she was of the place and exactly how much she wanted their help on the case; namely, not very much at all.

Mai paused at the gates as the others brushed past her. The tall wooden structures were traditional Sukiya style gates about eight feet tall, colored an aged brown and dark green from the fine layer of moss coating the wood. The others didn't seem to notice, but other than school field trips to a teahouse once and from photos Mai had seen in books, she had never been to an old-style Japanese house. Well, old to her, maybe not old to Japan. Over two hundred years was impressive enough for Mai.

Under her feet, the wooden walkway changed to gravel intermixed with sporadic weeds as she passed under the gateway. The rest of the house was no less aged, but the way in which the house had been left in such ill-repair made Mai turn melancholy.

The garden in front of her had probably been breathtaking at the high point of its care. There were two ponds in the front, one on either side of the Mai as she walked along the entrance path. The one on the left was smaller, but both were low on water and filled so heavily with algae that Mai couldn't see the bottom. The trees overhead had grown out of controlled as no one had trimmed them and didn't let any much sunlight pass through their giant boughs, swathing the whole property in a patchy shade. Mai imagined the pools having been crystalline at one point and mourned it.

As she walked along the path, she paused at the bridge and eyed the wooden structure carefully. It would be just her luck if it collapsed under her weight and so she resolved to test it. Carefully, she put one foot on it and put weight on it. The wood creaked ominously. A black blur swept past her without hesitation. He was a giant to her, that Lin. He turned to glance at her with a hidden smile on his face. It was barely visible under the sweep of side fringe that covered one eye. Mai scowled at him in return.

From the outside the house looked in decent shape, but with the way Yasuhara struggled with the front door, she guessed that it probably was worse off than even their client had guessed. Yasuhara looked to Ayako for help, but the miko merely shook her head before she started rolling up her sleeves.

Lin, merely put a hand on her shoulder and walked past the miko to wedge his shoulder and weight into the door. It slid open as the two men pushed it past the jam together. Tamako, the teenage client, hadn't mentioned the problem of the door. She'd only mentioned that she might be late and to start without her. She'd also mentioned that if they fell through the floorboards then she wasn't liable. She then added that if Naru fell through the floorboards, it was probably best to leave him. Tamako apparently held no fondness of their taciturn boss.

_Charming girl_, Mai thought.

"Mai, quit gawking and move. You're blocking the pathway," a sharp voice said. Mai slid an annoyed look over her shoulders, but quickly skipped along the pathway to the front door. At the entrance, she looked down at her feet, and back up to study the little empty cabinets to the side.

The same arrogant, grating voice lilted in Mai's ear. "Keep your shoes on, idiot. You do remember Matsushita-san mentioning the faulty flooring, right? Or have you already forgotten? As my assistant, you should really have more of a memory than a goldfish." Mai bristled at the sharp comments, but didn't saying anything.

Her boss, Shibuya Kazuya, and the source of the comments, wedged his way past her, bumping her shoulder briefly. Most everyone in her work referred to their collective boss as Naru as opposed to Shibuya or Kazuya. As far as she was concerned, neither one really fit him nearly as well as Naru, shorthand for narcissist, or for his real name, which Mai had only recently learned was Oliver Davis. It still irked Mai that she hadn't known his real name. She still hadn't let him forget all his many trespasses against the group.

"Mai." Again with the way he said it. Reprimanding, as if speaking to a child.

Mai grit her teeth, but smiled sweetly. "I thought I told you my name was Kanako. Call me Kanako-chan," she said, sarcasm dripping with every word. Her boss merely scowled before he about-faced and walked away, disappearing around the corner.

Just when she thought she might have actually won, she heard him say loud and clear, "Teinousha-san, unload the truck and bring in the towers first. I want to start working as fast as possible. Don't keep me waiting." She only heard footsteps for a moment before they disappeared altogether.

Clenching her fist, Mai only let the minor annoyance get to her for a slip of a second before she started recalling the zen ideas that Bou-san had imparted on her. Actually, they were calming techniques he'd _forced_ upon her and it was safe to say, she hadn't really taken them to heart yet.

Mai walked distractedly back to the van and almost slid into the pond once when she wasn't paying enough attention. She quickly noted how close the pond was to the path, and passed out the gate. When she reached the van, she gripped the door handle. It clicked uselessly under her hand. Locked.

Growling, she stalked back to the house and walked around aimlessly looking for Naru. She found both Ayako and John checking out the place as she walked the halls of the dark, unlit house. Both exorcists looked at her quietly as she asked irately for their boss. They motioned back the way she came and she had barely walked out the door before she leaned back in and muttered a grumpy 'thank you.'

She pulled out her keychain flashlight to guide her way back. Dust particles floated lightly in the small beam of light, and swayed in her wake as she walked. She raised her hand to cover her mouth and nose, not wanting to breathe it in.

She found Naru back at the entrance waiting expectantly, leaned against the doorframe studying a clipboard—likely a preemptory checklist of what they needed. He glanced up when she huffed at him and he glanced at her speculatively like this was her fault. The small amount of light diffusing through the door lit his svelte frame that was covered by his familiar dark black jacket that reached his knees. He looked amused and annoyed all at once.

She held her hand out, waiting.

His gaze slid between her open palm to her face again before he tilted his head in false askance.

Mai wanted to stomp her foot, but resisted—barely.

"The keys," she explained, gratingly.

"I gave them to Lin a number of minutes ago." He looked to his clipboard again, crossed something off. Without looking up, he said, "he's been unloading by himself as he couldn't find you by the van."

Mai held in the childish growl and breezed by him without another word. Things between them had yet to be completely smoothed over. After all, how was she supposed to feel after she confessed to him—her boss no less—and for him to, for all intents and purposes, blatantly ignore her _only to show up a couple months (five months, to be exact) later expecting her to work for him with no qualms._

_Well, he can think again,_ Mai thought acidly. Mai was still a little sheepish and angry about his lack of response. (Denial of her confession by saying that she was in love with his dead brother was not only insulting, it was deflecting.)

Mai silently fumed as she went to help Lin unpack the van. She pasted on a stock smile, after all, Lin wasn't the one she was mad at.

Lin wasn't the one who had up and left her…on second thought, he _had done exactly that. _

Just like Naru.

Her smile fell rapidly. Today was going to be rather touchy.

* * *

_**  
Last week…**_

"Mai, quit staring out the window. They're just Jackdaws."

Mai jumped, snapping out of her reverie. She'd been staring at the trio of black and white birds sitting outside the window for the last few minutes. They had been cawing noisily for a bit and had provided all the distraction necessary to pull Mai away from that paper.

Absently, she ran a finger across the window ledge and pretended that she hadn't just been sidetracked by birds. Turning her finger over, she frowned. No dust. That meant she had no excuse to clean instead of writing the essay that was currently uninspired and unfinished sitting idly on her desk. She wondered if she stared at it for awhile if it would spontaneously combust. Maybe she'd develop a new power—she was hoping for pyrokinesis at this point in time—if she tried hard enough.

Bolstering herself, Mai turned and smiled saccharinely at Yasuhara, who regarded her with a mix of interest and wariness. He folded his arms across his chest, preparing himself for whatever Mai was up to.

With that same smile, she paraded over to Yasuhara's side on the couch and plopped down beside him, tucking her leg under.

"What are _you_ doing?" she asked in a chipper tone. Clearly, she didn't want to him to focus on what she _wasn't doing._

He leaned forward, considering her skeptically, unsure of where she was going with this, but answered her by flipping over the cover of the book in front of him.

"16th century German w—wo—what does that last word say?" She read the title, but as it was in English, she couldn't make out the last word.

"Woodcuts," he supplied.

"Woodcuts," she repeated. She turned the cover and flipped through a few pages and grimaced. She tucked her head into her shoulder and mumbled something quietly to herself.

"What was that, Taniyama-san?" Yasuhara noticed her discomfort, but gave her credit for not looking away nervously like he had expected of her.

Mai looked mildly put out. "I said, a lot of them are naked," she noted quickly before taking a deep breath.

Yasuhara turned the page and set the book in her lap. Suddenly excited, he said, "Yes, they are! Particularly, this one." He pointed to three women, all naked and either sitting in front of a cauldron or dancing around the aforementioned cauldron. A skull made of smoke wove its away up the woodcut. Yasuhara started pointing at various parts of the woodcut, though Mai noticed he was dangerously close to the breasts and more private parts every time.

_Probably on purpose, _Mai thought exasperatedly. And then his finger landed directly on the witch's crotch. _No 'probably' about that one. That was a direct shot._

"Witches of the Sabbath," he continued, gesturing about a bit.

Mai tried to keep up with him. She turned the page and hid the malicious grin threatening to blossom.

"And what's this one?" Mai's finger landed, more or less, directly on the naked man's groin. Yasuhara paused a moment, and coughed, looking embarrassed. Mai grinned victoriously.

Yasuhara coughed again, brushing her finger off the page with a slide of his hand. He slid her a covert glance, looking at her through his lashes almost shyly.

"Why, Taniyama-san, _that's his penis._" Mai's eyes widened, and she coughed once trying to stem the choking feeling she felt rising. Yasuhara shook his head theatrically. "I thought they would have taught you that in health class years ago," he continued dramatically. He put a hand on her shoulder and turned to face her with a serious expression. "As your sempai, I feel it is my duty to teach you about the art of reproduction. Such a shame, your schools haven't informed you, but you're in luck—"

"Yasuhara-san," Mai growled warningly while smacking him on the arm.

A pen struck the back of the hand that he had on Mai's shoulder hard enough that he winced. He withdrew the hand sharply, rubbing the smarting ache.

Mai paled a little when she saw it was Naru walking behind the couch and was barely paying them any attention. Obviously, he was paying enough attention to smack Yasuhara without looking, but that was about as much attention he warranted them.

Mai felt a chill in the air, but didn't comment. She always felt like the temperature responded to Naru's moods. Scientifically speaking, it was preposterous. Psychically, it was all too likely given his level of kikou, but Mai couldn't say for sure.

"Yasuhara-san. Mai," he began. "Don't both of you have things you should be doing? Like my expense reports…" His frosty tone belied the neutral words.

"Ah, Shochou, but this is a matter of the utmost importance." He put an arm around Mai who braced herself with both hands against his chest, readying herself to push away the moment he got out of hand…which, she weighed in her head dourly, could have already been passed.

"Taniyama-san is sadly lacking in the knowledge of procreation. Shall I defer to you and assume you'll do the honor of informing the poor, experience-deficient child?"

Unfazed, Naru didn't even glance up to take the bait. "Get back to work."

Mai studied the look on Yasuhara's face. Pensive, but not defeated. She could tell that he was filing this away for later. He turned a high-wattage smile on her and she couldn't help but smile back.

On the other side of the office now, Naru was rifling through the bookshelf again, looking for some hidden text he currently struggled to find. Again, it didn't take much for him to seem completely indifferent to them. Mai wrinkled her nose in annoyance. She was all for annoying Naru today. Ignoring his curt edict, she tentatively touched the pages of Yasuhara's book and started flipping through them again. Some were grotesque, some rather mundane and others very depressing. She stopped on one of a naked woman posing likely in her boudoir. She was standing slightly slouched over, and while the naked part was already fairly eye-catching enough to Mai, the part that caught her attention was the long knife whose sharp point was settled on the underside of the woman's breast against tender flesh.

"Who is this?" Mai asked.

"Lucretia, from Roman legends," Yasuhara explained.

"And she's committing suicide while naked because…?" Mai didn't understand the fascination artists had with the naked body. It was just a body. Though, Mai supposed, she liked to see the landscapes artists painted and that wasn't quite abstract, but…whatever, to each their own…

"Maybe it's an oddly freeing sensation, Taniyama-san. When she is dead, she may face judgment from the living, but it is judgment that she'll most likely be unaware of. It can be seen as a spiteful gesture as well to some scholars, but the exact reason for her state of dress is unknown except perhaps to the artist. And in other renderings, she's fully clothed," he added as a last thought.

"Maybe she's a bit loony," Mai offered, amused. "Or maybe those artists are just perverts." She stuck her tongue out.

Mai felt the air shift above her before a clipboard smacked her on top of the head. "Ow," she grumbled.

Above her, Naru looked down disapprovingly at her. "Respect the dead, Mai."

Mai met his gaze curiously. "She's real?" She looked to Yasuhara spitefully. "_You_ said legend."

She shifted her gaze back to Naru. He looked pensive for a moment and Mai thought he might not respond.

"She might be real. The evidence is unclear if it is just a legend, or if maybe she is _based_ upon a real person. History was a very clouded thing in Rome during that time." He shrugged.

Mai considered this. "True, or not, what a waste. I'm sure she was beautiful. Why is sh—why did she kill herself?" She scrambled to add, "according to legend."

"She was raped," Naru said simply. He moved again, heading back into his office.

Yasuhara tried to recover the moment from that depressing thought. "Indeed, it was contended that she was very, very beautiful. But beauty fades." Yasuhara rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then turned to Mai with a critical look. "Who would have guessed you were so vain, Taniyama-san?"

Mai rolled her eyes and tried to say, 'I meant what a waste of life,' but Yasuhara wasn't listening once again.

"Even our beautiful boss' face will one day fade. Wither. Wrinkle and fall apart—" Yasuhara punctuated each word and over her shoulder she knew Naru was listening. "—most likely because he frowns so much, but probably due to poor genetics as well. What a shame, but do not fear, Shochou, it is not for your face that we love you—well, mostly, but—"

Mai couldn't help but laugh pleasantly. She clutched her stomach as she curled over chuckling.

"Yasuhara-san," Naru said it tightly and Mai could sense that he was a tad exasperated, but not quite angry with them yet. Yasuhara had a way about him that could diffuse most any situation.

"Your reports are right here, Shochou. I didn't think you were speaking of _this month's_ expense reports. My oversight." He stood and stepped over Mai's legs carefully. He gave her a hidden smirk as he passed her and she muffled a giggle again.

Naru accepted the files with a raised eyebrow, and leaned around Yasuharu to stare steadily at Mai.

Mai sobered immediately as he fixed his gaze on her. She cleared her throat and smiled minutely.

"The files on your desk, _Taniyama-san." _Naru's voice wasn't nearly as gentle as it had been a moment ago. Mai's mouth parted to speak, but she was cut off by Yasuhara.

"Aha, I forgot about those. I asked Mai to pull those as I had some interest in the cases we've rejected recently. Something had caught my attention, but now I can't quite remember what it was exactly. I'll file those back right away." He bowed to Naru and Mai relaxed as Naru's attention was diverted safely off of her.

Taking the distraction offered, Mai circled her desk and settled into her chair softly. Naru followed her for a moment, but finally, swept back into his office. When Naru was out of sight and his door was shut behind him, Mai sighed loudly and set her forehead against her desk.

A half hour passed and she had started to make some progress on her paper, but she was suddenly stuck as she had nothing left to write. Was it enough? Would her teacher want more? He hadn't stipulated how long he had wanted the paper.

She looked to Yasuhara. "Yas-u-hara-san," she said in a sing-song voice. He looked up at her inquiringly. "How long do your professors like your essays to be at the university?"

He pursed his lips and looked upward, thinking. "Depends…" Mai could almost envision the light bulb lighting up above his head. He smiled. "You know, my favorite sensei has what he calls 'the miniskirt rule.' He says the essay should be like a miniskirt. Long enough to cover everything. Short enough to keep it interesting." He smiled brilliantly over at her.

"Pervert," Mai grumped and tossed her paperweight at him. She tried to miss purposely, but almost _accidentally_ hit him because of her poor aim. The metal piece skimmed by his head and landed heavily on the carpeted floor with a thump. The noise didn't end immediately as the paperweight bounced once and then rolled noisily around the office.

Both employees didn't bother looking at the fallen hardware; instead, both stared cautiously at the boss' door, waited and worried. Nothing.

And then the door whipped open, creaking on the hinges. They hadn't even heard his footsteps in his office. He'd moved as soundlessly as a cat. Mai cringed, preparing for the onslaught.

Their boss opened his mouth to yell when the front door opened, causing the bell on the door to chime. Mai and Yasuhara had to turn to see the door and who had opened it.

It was a young teenage girl, fifteen at most, and on her face was the most sour, repugnant look, framed with short, downy hair spiked at the bottoms of her ear. Mai swiftly stood from her desk and greeted her. "Welcome to Shibuya Psychic Research. How can we help you?" Mai didn't know the girl's face could twist any further into a scowl, but at the mention of their work's name, she grew further agitated.

"This is the place?" She sounded unhappy at the thought and turned to scowl as she assessed the writing on the door. She looked between each person quickly.

Between glances, Mai looked down at her calendar. She double-checked to make sure there wasn't an appointment today otherwise Naru would fillet her. Today's square was empty. There wasn't a meeting. Mai breathed a sigh of relief.

"Shibuya Psychic Research," the girl repeated. "You're the bunch of psychics that go around investigating haunted houses, hocus pocus, and see ghosts, right?" Her tone was caustic and it set Mai on edge immediately. She clamped her hands together in her lap.

Naru's cold voice spread over the room. "We are psychic _researchers._ We investigate strange phenomena in a scientific manner, _none of your hocus pocus required_," Naru said in thinly veiled distaste.

The girl pursed her lips, suddenly cowed, and looking like she wanted to leave. A frustrated blush was creeping up the sides of her neck. At her sides, her fists clenched into tiny balls as she searched for her resolve. "I'm not doing this for me," the girl started again. "My mother wants you to check a house for us."

"And where is your mother?" It was Yasuhara this time. His tone was vastly more measured than Naru's.

"She's at work. And she doesn't want her name to be involved with this," the girl added quickly. "She believes in phantoms and demons and such, but she doesn't want her work to think she's superstitious and paranoid. She loves her job," the girl explained. The girl took a deep breath. "But I don't," she said harshly.

"You don't what?" Mai countered softly. She was trying a softer angle, not wanting the girl to lash out.

The girl fixed her with an irritated glare. Mai smiled internally; this girl didn't hold a candle to Naru's glare. Mai merely kept smiling, and waited.

"I don't believe in these ghosts like my mom does. I'm not religious, or superstitious, but I want her mind soothed." Her brow wrinkled. "Go there. Investigate. I don't care if you actually do. I just want you to tell her there is nothing there, so it will ease her mind." The girl rifled through her purse and pulled out a checkbook, likely her mother's. "How much would that be?"

"Nothing," Naru said curtly.

"Nothing?" The girl questioned She looked up from the checkbook, confused.

"Nothing," he repeated. "We aren't going to take your case."

The teenager's eyes widened and she started to sputter. "W-why not?!"

"You haven't given us any evidence. You haven't told us anything about the place. Why would we take a case and waste _our _time investigating nothing? What else would you like? Are those three reasons not enough for you?" Even Yasuhara winced at his cutting tone.

"You want evidence?!" She yelled back at him. "Fine, here." The girl stalked across the room to the desk and tossed two dozen pictures across the coffee table. Mai eyed Naru, who hadn't budged, speculatively. She exchanged a questioning look with Yasuhara and he nodded. They moved to sit on opposite couches and started pawing through the photos.

The girl stood nervous and defensive, arms crossed across her chest with a dark look on her face.

Some of the photos were black and white, old as well as fragile. Others were newer, and the lighting in the photos were either taken with a flash, or with a flashlight highlighting a spot.

Mai studied the various photos and traded back and forth with Yasuhara briefly. A few caught her attention, others were harder to find exactly what the girl wanted them to notice.

Yasuhara saw her puzzlement, and said, "The curtains in the back. They're burned." He pointed them out for Mai and she nodded.

Mai separated ones she thought were important from the others. She extended them to Naru who looked at her pointedly and didn't' move.

"Naru," she intoned softly, but insistently. He merely raised an eyebrow. She dropped her hand and set them back on the table, looking forlornly at Yasuhara.

So Yasuhara tried. "Some of these are interesting, Shochou. This one, for example. Five nearly evenly spaced indentations in the wall, as if finger nails were dragged across." Mai shivered. She'd never seen those kind of markings at a case site, but she didn't want to add them to her repertoire of ghostly injuries. All too often, she would get injured and as she glanced down at her arms, she noted that all of her scars were a dim pink, already fading to a pale beige. Healing. She didn't want to add any new markings.

The girl started listing off other events not documented with photos. "It's my grandparents house on my father's side. We've had the footsteps, the creepy noises, voices, rattling drawers. The oil lamps won't light anymore. Fifteen years ago, one of the grandchildren nearly drowned when he said that someone was holding him down in the pond." She stopped, choked up a bit. "Another child was nearly strangled to death by the chains of the swing. It was gruesome, tore skin and ligaments. Their two parakeets were found torn apart with their heads placed under other grandchildren's beds."

"Did they have a cat?" Yasuhara asked.

The girl looked puzzled. "Yes, but the cat disappeared before that. They assumed it ran away when the events started happening." She struggled when it came to talking about things like the paranormal was a regular occurrence. She paused whenever she had to use the different terminology. "My grandmother was sent to the hospital due to a stroke. She said that something had been watching her that night. She was only 52." Naru looked unimpressed.

"Much younger people than that have strokes. For one so unconvinced that it's not ghosts, you are sure arguing passionately for its proof."

"It's not ghosts," the girl stated resolutely.

"Then you do not need our service," he said, again.

Mai glanced back to see Naru skimming the photos, leaned over her shoulder. She stiffened slightly, but didn't move as he was likely to notice her move.

"Well?" the girl bit sharply. "Say it is ghosts. Would that be enough evidence for you?"

Naru examined her for a second, and as if a thought struck him, he said shortly, "No."

The girl's mouth dropped open, but then she clamped her jaws together. With her teeth gritted, she seemed to consider something briefly before she pulled at the bow tied at her neck. It slid off with difficulty as she was too agitated to focus untying it properly. Then she quickly started parting the buttons from her neck down. Naru raised an eyebrow and Mai grimaced. She had no idea what this girl was about to do.

The teenager jerked the collar of her shirt apart to reveal heavy white scarring above her collar bone reaching to stretch around her throat. Mai's hand flew to her mouth trying to cover her reaction as she sucked in a sharp breath. Yasuhara manage to gasp quietly, but the revealing didn't budge Naru save for a small twitch.

With tears brimming her eyes, she said fiercely, "Is this enough?"

* * *

Rough start. I have this outlined for five parts with the second chapter in editing and the third under way. Hope you enjoy this.

Chapter 2: Predilection for Trouble


	2. Predilection For Trouble

**Aversion Theory**

Chapter 2: Predilection for Trouble

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12.16.09

* * *

It hadn't taken much more encouragement after that to have Naru agree to take the case. In fact, Mai was beginning to think he would have agreed to take the case on earlier if not only to spite the teenager, Tamako. During the interview, Mai had sat silent while Naru brewed wordlessly in the office, no doubt considering the possible benefits. After a few years, the stoic Naru was still hard to read, but slowly Mai was getting better at reading his behaviors; at least, enough to know what each small movement meant. When he steepled his fingers, it meant he was paying less attention to the client. That was Naru's twitch, how he fidgeted. If he crossed his ankle over his knee and reclined back on the couch, he generally would settle his hand under his chin, or prop it up on the arm of the couch. That was his tired pose, whenever he would try to look comfortable and composed, Mai could see the weariness in the posture that he wasn't willing to share with them.

In the interview, he had clearly been preoccupied and thinking of other things when he had finally agreed, Mai could tell that much. Naru was always on point when clients were present , not distracted like he had been. But for the life of her, Mai couldn't figure out what was wrong, nor was he likely to confide in her. He was more likely to pull his own teeth.

After displaying her violent scars, which Naru had scrupulously studied unabashedly, Tamako clammed up tightly with what Mai thought was shame and embarrassment. Naru finally acquiesced. The angry burn of a blush had tainted Tamako's untouched skin, but her scars were still a harsh white at the base of her throat, a stark contrast. She had accepted in an exhausted manner and set up a time next week quickly before she vanished out the office door. Naru had probably upset her or made her angry enough to resent having to come into the office which was at odds with her own beliefs. Mai shook her head wearily.

She could attest to his capabilities when it came to belittling someone's feelings. Mai's ego had taken one too many blows once upon a time, and now that she worked for him again, she expected that many more weren't far behind.

When Tamako had left, Mai had tried a different avenue of scolding. Normally, she would have yelled at him until they were locked in a fierce staring battle, but she was quickly learning the benefit of having multiple angles to choose from. She'd merely said his name in a disappointed fashion, hoping to inspire a little guilt in him. He'd looked to her then, and held her saddened gaze until she looked away first, and dropped her head sullenly. He knew what she was thinking and that was enough for her. He'd do whatever he wanted anyway.

Mai cursed quietly to herself as she fumbled the monitor in her hand. It tipped precariously before it pinched her finger between its plastic frame and the shelf. She yelped and jerked her hand out from underneath the heavy piece of equipment allowing it to settle heavily with clunk. Without thinking, she moved to put her finger in her mouth, not bothering to check to see if it was bleeding.

A hand stopped her, catching her by the wrist and left her looking reminiscent of the codfish caught on a hook with her mouth dangling open. Ayako tisked, shaking her head like a mother.

"That's disgusting," the miko admonished, giving a tight squeeze on Mai's wrist. "Do you know how many germs are in your mouth?" Ayako asked acerbically. "How much bacteria do you think is in your mouth—it's filthy, filthy, filthy."

Ayako dropped Mai's hand roughly and pointed out the door. "Go. Wash. I'll have John-san finish unloading the monitors."

At a loss for words, Mai nodded resignedly and left the room without trying to scrounge for her dignity. Ayako was always overly protective and cautious, especially when it came to Mai, and this hadn't gone unnoticed by said girl. In the hall, Mai had to use her keychain flashlight to guide her way again as the electricity hadn't been turned on yet. They had looked at the lamps in the hallways (which were shaped like lotus flowers with the oil bulb in the center), but Lin had already attempted to light several and failed each time. None of them were successful in catching a light, even with a full stock of oil.

Overhead, electric lights had been installed a number of years ago, but again, without the power…they were utterly useless, just another piece of the decor.

As such, Mai held her throbbing finger cradled against her stomach and held her flashlight in the other, roaming aimlessly down the halls without a lick of direction. Twice she stumbled into the wall when she got forgot to walk straight because she had gotten distracted by the paintings that had been carefully erected painstakingly on each shoji piece. Landscapes. Mai's favorites. Overhead, the lamps were barely within her reach as they lined only the wooden-side walls. They weren't actually that high off the ground. Even after a year and half at S.P.R. and the next five months it took for Naru to return, Mai only stood a little under five foot three, which was enough to pass by Masako and evenly match her friend Michiru.

Mai tapped on another shoji before sliding it open. Yet again she was met by dust and a dead end, as it was just another bedroom. By the time she'd checked three more doors (none of which were the bathroom or the kitchen), her finger wasn't even hurting anymore. She shook her finger absently, testing for feeling and injury. It was merely tender, but not nearly enough to warrant any kind of special attention.

Sighing self-deprecatingly, Mai suddenly remembered that the water hadn't even been turned on yet. With a shrug to no one, she turned around and tried to remember which way she had come. Maybe she could backtrack… Mai eyed the hallway with a crumbling resolve. It wasn't that she had a bad memory, she just had utterly no sense of direction.

She crossed her arms and tried to focus again, pondering just how long it would take before Ayako, or one of the others came along hunting for her. She stared down the hallway she was sure she had come down and pursed her lips in thought. Nothing. It wasn't coming back to her.

For once, she was glad Takigawa couldn't come on such short notice. Not that she wouldn't miss his happy presence, but she certainly wouldn't miss the way he would scold her endlessly about going off by herself around a house they were supposed to investigate. Then he would rant on and on about her risk of injury, which, they had all decided one day, rose exponentially with the amount of time she had no one with her.

Mai tapped her foot idly to an eight-count beat and then shook her head despairingly. If she just started walking on her own, then, eventually, she would find someone, or they would find her. The house wasn't that big.

Rousing her energy, she started to skulk along the frigid, wooden corridors. Every painting along the shojis was a different piece of scenery. Apparently, she'd moved onto the winter corridor because every scene had snow in it. She'd only turned two corners when she heard other footsteps and gave a small yell, signaling that she was coming that way. Excited and happy to not be lost anymore, she sped along the corridor and glanced around a t-split hallway. Not that one. She meandered down to the corner and saw a flashlight sweeping along the wall next to her. Ducking into the hallway, she waved as the spotlight illuminated her with an odd yellow patch. She covered her eyes with a hand and waved to the person to lower the flashlight.

Holding onto the powerful floodlight was Lin. He briefly observed Mai and her distinct lack of protection when wandering the house.

Lin sighed. "Lost already, Taniyama-san?"

Mai shook her head and smiled enthusiastically. "Nope, just exploring the house."

"You're already done unloading the monitors? I'm impressed." Mai looked at him and thought that he didn't actually look impressed. In fact, he looked the same as always: droll and with minimal amusement.

Mai smiled crookedly, rubbing the back of her head. "Well, no, I didn't finish, but John-san was wrapping that up. I went to find a bathroom, but then I remembered that the water isn't even on yet."

He nodded, eying her skeptically. "You should head back to base. We haven't done any preliminary studies yet and with your propensity for trouble…" He trailed off suggestively.

"You and Naru both say that spirits usually aren't active on the first day. They relax a bit to see who is here. Unless it's a particularly vicious one," she added benignly.

Lin deadpanned at her blithe admission. "So you're taking the chance of perusing the house when the best chance of being attacked is by a _particularly_ _violent_ spirit?" Lin's trump card wasn't sarcasm, not quite like Naru or Yasuhara, but he pulled it off magnificently here, Mai noted.

Mai considered that. "Well, when you put it like that…but hey! At least, I wasn't hiding in my office when the client came!" Mai accused.

Lin shrugged half-heartedly. "Naru would call me if he required my assistance." Mai fixed on him with a glare. "..and I didn't think he would take the case," he admitted.

Mai made displeased 'hmph' noise. "I'm heading back to base. Are you coming?" Mai made to walk by him when he shook his head.

"I'm setting up the camera wiring right now with the microphones in the living room. We need two cameras to cover the whole room as the fireplace obscures the view quite a bit."

"Well, if you need any help, let me know."

Lin cleared his throat and Mai turned abruptly. He pointed down the next hallway. She looked at him quizzically for a moment and then it struck her. The base was _that_ way.

Mai nodded sheepishly. "Aha. Thanks, Lin-san."

* * *

"Cameras online?"

"Yes."

"Microphones working?"

"Yes."

Naru lifted himself from hunching over the table and etched a note on his ever-present clipboard. His dour mood still hadn't lifted as Tamako had arrived at mid-afternoon, two hours after the agreed time, with the Electricity company. They had switched on the power with relative ease, and the house started to hum with a new life in its veins. The lights overhead were dim from age and dust, but they illuminated the halls enough that they no longer needed flashlights to maneuver around.

Directly across the hall, Mai found the bathroom to which Ayako had been gesturing to earlier. The shoji doors were oddly deceptive and Mai had walked right past it without noticing it was in fact a doorway.

Mai turned the tap, yet nothing came out. She groaned irritably and stalked back into the base. Naru looked up at her heavy feet, but for once, didn't say anything.

No water meant she couldn't shower yet. She was filthy, covered from head to toe with sweat and dirty from the thick layers of dust she'd swept away at the base. She just wanted to wash her hands, to have one small part feel _clean._

Ayako looked over to Mai who was sulking miserably. She frowned before she realized what was putting the girl in such a mood. _Oh, right. The water's still off. Fantastic._ Ayako started fishing around her purse. She pulled out two little paper packets. Cleansers. She tossed both at Mai. "Keep the other one. I have a feeling you'll need one later." Mai rolled her eyes at her.

Mai stacked the last box in the corner, not wanting to get more dust on her hands before she used the packet and then sunk down onto the floor against the wall. Even though Naru had her back to her, she could tell that something was bothering him. "What is it, Naru?" She sounded more anxious than she felt.

Silence met her question. Mai looked around, eyes meeting with John and then Ayako. Mai was no less surprised when Ayako started laughing boisterously.

John and Mai watched as the miko cackled, hunched over. Naru tensed. "You haven't realized?" Ayako gestured expectantly at them and then around the area. "No water. That means no cooking. No bathrooms." She paused, and smiled maliciously. "You're going to love this, Mai-chan. No water means _no tea."_

Mai considered this. On her fingers she ticked off each thought: _no evening tea run. No midnight tea run. No crack of dawn tea run_. _No morning tea run. No lunch tea run. _Soon Mai ran out of fingers and smiled contentedly. Just as quickly, she burst into a fit of giggles, biting her lip to subdue it slightly. John smirked, but watched Naru cautiously, not wanting to be on the tail end on his retribution.

Naru swiveled to face the two tittering women. They stopped laughing as raucously, but still had large smiles from ear to ear. Naru regarded Ayako coldly. She chuckled once more to his face, but stifled the rest. Mai choked a laugh again as he turned to face Mai, stalking up to her in a way that made her feel small and a little worried. On the ground, she looked up cautiously to regard him with amusement lighting her eyes as he cornered her.

He stooped over her, bending at the waist to match her eyelevel as best he could. He was too tall to be effectively intimidating at this angle, Mai noted, and she swallowed her smile as best she could.

"Yes, Naru?" She prompted after he hadn't said anything.

"Perhaps, I should make you hold a lighter under a jar until its warm enough. Would you prefer that, Taniyama-san?"

"You wouldn't," she said shakily, not quite sure if he really would. Over his shoulder, Mai saw Ayako shaking in repressed laughter. Naru reached in his pocket and pulled out a small Zippo lighter to present to her.

"Kazuya-san," John interrupted, "When did you say Masako-san would be heading out here?"

Naru looked up to John, forgetting Mai for the moment. "Not until late this evening. She had to reschedule the rest of today's work, but is heading here as soon as possible."

Naru stood erect and Mai scrambled out from under him as quietly as possible. Not quietly enough as Mai saw him surveying her from his peripheral vision as she slid away. He had chose to her go.

Mai circled around him and ducked behind Ayako, pretending to order the paperwork and organize Lin's area.

John continued. "I believe I heard the front door opening. I'll check to see if it's her." He pushed off the wall and motioned to the door. Naru nodded vaguely and led the way out the door.

When Ayako confirmed they were out of earshot, she slung her overnight pack over her shoulder and tossed Mai hers. Mai stumbled backward a bit and looked up at Ayako intently. On Ayako's face was the most devious grin Mai had come across in awhile.

Ayako picked at her fingernail absentmindedly, then held it up towards a nonexistent light to examine it. "What say you and I look around the place a bit? That way we can scope out the area and pick the best bedrooms to bunk in," she said with anticipation.

Mai hefted her own pack across her shoulder and sunk under the weight slightly. Ayako noted it silently, but held her tongue for fear of her words falling on deaf ears. Some days more than others, Mai seemed like such a fragile thing when mixed with the others of their group. Maybe it was just in Ayako's nature, but all she wanted to do when Mai was around was to take her under her arm and never let her go for fear something bad would happen to her or corrupt her infinite optimism.

Mai's contagious smile made the corner of Ayako's lip perk despite her suddenly grim mood. Mai wasn't their flagship psychic, but she was most assuredly the bow that tied together the package of their little group. Without her, S.P.R. would function, but it would work like an ancient engine, gears turning achingly slow without the ease of grease in the cogs.

Ayako grabbed Mai's hand in hers and pulled her down the hallway.

"Hurry up, slow poke. We have to make headway before Naru notices we're gone."

* * *

It had been Masako at the door. On her way out to the investigation site, she had offered to pick up Yasuhara who had other appointments in the morning as well. The normally composed Yasuhara looked uncharacteristically ragged when he settled heavily onto the dusty floor in the living room. Everyone, save Lin, was in the central room of the house that housed the fireplace. Mai studied it carefully, bearing in mind that it was more specifically a cross between a hearth and a fireplace, rather than a conventional fireplace.

Masako stood by the door close Naru as they discussed the layout of the house and her initial thoughts on the place.

"Well, you'll be happy to know that you haven't completely wasted your time. I do sense a spirit here." She rubbed her nose as primly as she could manage when it started to tickle from dust. "But it's a benign spirit." She looked up at Naru, offering a faint smile. "Perhaps, later I can attempt to persuade her to pass over."

A soft knock came from behind Naru and Masako. The medium frowned and turned to face whoever had interrupted her. It was Tamako in the doorway with a bundle in her arms, a tiny child probably no more than one. She'd been wandering the house on her own for awhile now probably not wanting to run into Naru by herself, Mai observed.

A small whine came from her arms, and Naru noticeably bristled. It hadn't strictly been caused by the child, but was more due to the interference it would most likely present to their work. Mai had long ago ascertained Naru's dislike of children, but it wasn't so much that he would say anything offensive—

"You need to take that child home."

—or not.

Tamako, having long prepared for more insults and cold behavior with no pretense, stood erect holding her brother over her shoulder as he slept.

"My mom doesn't get off work until late tonight. And I'm not letting you have the run of this house without me here. Who knows what you might do to scam my mother?"

Mai approached her with a disarming smile. "If you'd like we can wait before we do any preliminary testing."

Naru scoffed and paced his way from the room. "We will not be waiting," he said, stalking from the area, leaving no room for argument.

Mai recovered and took Tamako's elbow, leading her to Masako. "This is Hara Masako, she's a medium that will be scouting your house for spirits."

Tamako eyed Masako warily. Masako tipped her chin up and waited to be greeted with no small amount of pretension lining her stance. Tamako angled a stern look back at Mai.

"I know who she is. I've seen her on t.v." Mai nodded, then gestured to Ayako. "Matsuzaki Ayako, she's a miko, and in the corner is John Brown. He's your priest."

Mai rounded back on her and pointed to Yasuhara first, then herself. "Yasuhara and I are Naru's assistants."

"So you don't have any otherworldly powers?" she asked, mistrust ill disguised in her voice.

From behind, Ayako muttered, "Other than a predilection for trouble."

Mai scowled at Ayako. "I dream of things sometimes, but it's a rare occurrence," Mai tried to explain, hoping for some understanding. It only happened on cases, after all. _Cases, in themselves, were pretty rare, _Mai thought.

"But I think, Naru is right this time," she added softly. "It would be better and more safe for everyone if you took your brother home. If something were to happen…" Mai shook the thought away. "For his sake, take him home. Wait for your mother and in the morning, come back. We'll still be running all kinds of tests that I can take you through."

Tamako seemed smaller and less defensive. She nodded her head with a placated, agreeable expression for once.

Masako spoke then, uncertainty shaking her voice. "Mai," she said, trying to get her attention. "You might want to sit down."

Masako looked at her cautiously and Mai frowned.

That was all the time she had as her vision started to wobble. Mai stumbled back, weight shifting to one foot as her balance and coordination disappeared. She understood now that Masako had been trying to warn her to an oncoming vision. The medium had done it a couple times in the past and, now familiar with the feeling, coordinated enough to give Mai a heads up. Back at the investigation into Yasuhara's school, Masako had first channeled Mai's vision of the student Sakauchi being swallowed by a larger spirit. The resulting impact had sent Masako sprawling on the floor as she absorbed the full brunt of Mai's powerful vision.

Since then, Mai had tried to reduce the effects they had on Masako by narrowing the broadband by which her vision was being channeled through. Masako always appreciated the effort, wordlessly thanking her with a brief smile.

The dark, wooden room and her friends vanished as Mai's regular sight collapsed, but she still felt the pain in her knees when her legs wobbled uncertainly under her and struck the floor.

The scenery spun rapidly, a void of swirling colors, until it pin wheeled slower and settled into the visage of an open yard with two little boys sitting at the base of tree. They were covered with dirt with brown little hands and knobby knees heavily soiled. They had scheming smiles and bright, round eyes as they patted the dirt down in between them.

As far away as she was she couldn't hear what the boys whispering excitedly to each other. She wanted to get near to them, so she could hear what they were saying. A light hand on her shoulder made her jump.

Mai whipped around. "Gene!" she hissed, eyes wide. "—scared me half to death—"

Gene's eyes lit with a mischief to match the boys. Mai slapped him on the arm and took a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart.

He looked at her sardonically. "Mai, you don't have a heartbeat in visions. Do you ever listen to me when I'm teaching you this stuff?" Mai pulled an annoyed face, and stuck her tongue at him.

"Aren't you normally in my dreams?" she countered.

"I've been in your visions before. The spiritual plane is the spiritual plane regardless of the waking state." He gestured at her flippantly. His playful looked shifted when his head perked up noticeably as if he'd heard something. Gene grabbed Mai and dragged her behind him, placing her between him and the tree.

"Hey—stop that—" she gritted out. "It's just—Masako—just Masako!"

Gene visibly deflated and let her up from the tree. He settled for a reprimanding look. "You should tell me when people tag along in your visions, Mai," he grated out in a grave tone.

"And you shouldn't act like a valiant knight. I'm the only one here who could protect us here anyway. Hello, the nine words? I'm the valiant knight! You're more like my steed." She righted herself, neglecting to clean off her dress. It was just a vision, the dirt wasn't real. Peeking around the tree, she double-checked to make sure that the boys were still there. They were, but now they were seemingly frozen in action.

Confused, but unfazed she asked, "Now, what are you here to show me?"

Mai turned to peek at Gene over her shoulder. The atmosphere around him seemed to have frozen. He glared at Mai icily, and she quirked her head, wondering what had happened to Gene…

Her mouth dropped open, and she stuck a finger in his chest, backing up a step. "_You're not Naru, are you?_!"

The handsome boy huffed, clearly aggravated, and he glanced to the side while he rubbed some sort of tension from his eyes. "I'm obviously Gene. How can you not tell us apart after this long? I didn't even move! What would make you think that Naru suddenly popped into your dreams after all this time?"

Mai peeked up at him through her lashes. "That was an awfully scary look on your face. Very Naru-esque," she pointed out.

He threw his hands out, "We're twins, of course we're going to mimic _some_ similar behaviors."

She pointed a timid finger at him again. "Exactly."

He ran a hand through his hair roughly and walked briskly by her, growling exasperatedly. "Follow me, Mai." He rounded the tree and Mai followed closely at his heels.

The two boys suddenly started moving again as if someone—she regarded Gene warily—had hit 'Play.' He glanced back at her in an assessing manner, clearly an open challenge.

"Call me your steed again," he dared in a frosty tone before turning back to the children. Mai grimaced, but watched the two boys patted down the dirt again.

Now that Mai was paying attention, the boys appeared to be veritable opposites. One had hair so light, it seemed white, but it was hard to tell under the purple hue in her vision. The other had darker brown hair, again a guess on her part, cut above the tops of his ears. Dark eyes glinted eagerly like only children can as he wiped his hands across his shorts, creating long dark streaks over his pants.

The blond boy took a little white saucer and tipped it over the burial site in a swirling motion. Mai assumed it was water, but it was hard to tell as the purple vision shifted to a soft, hazy blue. Obnoxious visions.

He dropped the saucer to the ground and stared impatiently.

The boys surveyed their work for a moment and then the blond haired one shot up to his feet. "Perfect, Nobu-kun! Okaa-san will never find the treasure." He offered a hand to his dark-haired friend and yanked him up next to him.

"Do you think our offering will be enough?" The boy Nobu asked, pulling at the hem of his shirt anxiously.

His blond friend put his hands on his hips with a stern face. "Of course, it will. Shaka-sama will totally accept it! It's his favorite."

_Shaka-sama?_

An indistinct call rang out from somewhere behind Mai. Feminine, but the words were clouded. The two boys glanced at each other and then back behind Mai.

Nobu bent over and grabbed the saucer before double-timing it back to the house. The blond boy glanced back at the burial clearly torn, but then ran towards Mai. Gene sidestepped out of the boy's way, but Mai froze, not bothering to shift for a reason she didn't know.

The little boy only measured up to her stomach, but as his apparition passed through her, Mai felt a sharp burst of pain in her abdomen. She choked, sagging forward and then hit her knees when the feeling increased dramatically. Just as quickly the feeling passed.

She gasped raggedly. "Well, that was new." She smiled up at Gene who was looking at her like a startled deer. "Is that all you wanted to show me?" she asked in a playfully scornful voice.

Gene didn't laugh, or respond, only continued looking at her with a distressed look on his face. "Mai," he said painfully. He dropped down to his knees beside her and lifted her hands off her stomach. Mai followed his vision and saw a dark green patch on her stomach.

"What…?" Her vision had shifted to a murky green now. That certainly wasn't a grass stain on her shirt; it was a gradually spreading pool of blood. She shared a startled look with her ghostly guide. "Gene—what the—"

"I don't know," he said, shakily. "That's not supposed to happen." His brow, if possible, furrowed further. "You need to wake up. Get to Noll. Get to Matsuzaki-san. I can't do anything for you here."

"It doesn't hurt."

"Yet," her guide returned.

"You're not helping," she said venomously. "I've always been terrible at waking up. I normally stay until someone dies." Her abdomen suddenly seized, clenching painfully. Mai gasped, wrapping her hands around her middle, though it did little to help.

Gene winced. "Poor choice of words, Mai."

"Okay, that hurts now," she said through clenched teeth. "Just a dream--um, vision. It's just a vision."

Gene rolled his shoulders. "Luckily, I'm very good at helping you wake up. I'm not sure how this is going to feel," he added in a dubious tone.

"Probably not much worse that I am now," she admitted. She tried to relax only to tense further when another wave of pain seized her. "Just do it."

He nodded and put one hand on her forehead. Roughly, she felt herself shoved backward until she was tipping over. The green hue of her vision slid to a black without light. She braced herself for hitting the ground, but no impact came, for which she was immensely grateful. Instead, she started spinning violently head over heels over and over again.

The end came shortly when she thumped aggressively into what she hoped was her body. Now, she really could feel pain as her nerves were all too real and functioning on this plane. She choked back a shriek and felt her body arch moments before she felt warmth slowly flooding her limbs. She didn't know what it was, but gradually she felt herself slipping further and further away from consciousness. Definitely not the way she wanted to go.

She fought with all her willpower and she thought she might have made progress, until a blue pulse surrounded her and shoved her back into the blackness rather roughly.

The pulse rang out again calmer this time, and eased over her like an eerie lullaby and softly she slid under, no longer able to keep the warmth from finally taking her.

* * *

Sound returned first. A rough cadence of people speaking from the room next door rolled over her ears. Deep voices, mostly men, but every now and again, a quieter, dulcet sound would intone into the conversation.

Mai tried to swallow past her dry throat and sat up with a groggy croak, drawing attention from the other occupant of the room. Ayako looked up from the other side of the room where she was halfway in one room, halfway in the other. She was listening to the conversation, but must not have wanted to leave Mai alone.

Ayako slid the shoji shut softly, and joined Mai by the couch. She clucked at Mai as she turned Mai's head this way and that way, observing her from different angles. "Masako said you got clocked a good one, but nothing seems to be lasting damage. How are you feeling?"

"Tired," Mai rasped. Ayako slid a lukewarm cup into Mai's hands.

"That's to be expected, I sedated you when you started thrashing. Sorry about that." The miko looked abashed. Mai checked the bandage on her arm and bent her arm experimentally. It felt fine. A few months ago, Mai had started to see Ayako packing her medical kit more regularly, but had yet to see her use it. Somehow, Mai always knew that if Ayako had to crack it open, it would probably be for her.

Mai shared her sentiment. Ayako chuckled, rubbing her face to smooth the waning tension. "I never questioned that it would be anyone but you. Quite a doozey of a vision, huh? Even Masako was reeling when you finally passed out."

Mai tensed, worried. "Is she all right?" Ayako patted her head, trying to soothe her.

"She's just fine, just a little fever. She doesn't get hurt in visions like you, remember? She's not an astral walker, her physical being isn't tied to seeing the events. One day you'll learn how to turn that off, so that you won't get hurt." From her crouch, Ayako was sliding her medical items that Mai didn't recognize into her black duffel. She paused and slid Mai a serious glare. "Sooner rather than later would be preferable."

Mai scoffed at that. "I'm not sure how to do that anyone even if I did try. And no one else at S.P.R. can do it. How am I supposed to learn without a teacher?"

The miko shrugged. "Go to an outside source. I'm sure Naru knows some professionals with similar capabilities." A pause. "On second thought, I wouldn't go through Naru. He'd probably get some stupid idea and get insulted. Probably call you a moron too because you can't do it on your own. Maybe that was just a whole terrible idea, and you should forget about it."

Mai scrunched her face up. Naru would call her stupid and probably wouldn't give her any names just to spite her.

"What time is it?"

"A little after ten." Mai slid her feet off of the couch, preparing to stand.

"And just where are you going?" Mai hadn't heard the shoji slide open, but there was Naru scowling at her from across the room. His posture was at ease, but his words and demeanor were not. His glare glued her in place and she immediately was on the defense, glaring at him in return.

Ayako looked between the two sensing that she wasn't needed, and made to exit the room. _Stubborn children_. Brushing by Naru, she said, "Keep an eye on her. I have a few questions I wanted to ask that monk."

Naru let her through and closed the shoji behind him. The shoji sagged under his weight when he leaned on it. He regarded Mai with that same closed off look. His lips were spread thin as he pursed them in apparent displeasure.

"Has Masako already told you about the dream?" Mai asked

"Hara-san has filled us in while you were napping," he said vaguely.

The way he said it made Mai bristle. Her fingers tightened unconsciously on her arm. She wondered how much Masako had told him. Could the medium have seen Gene's ghost and if she did, had she told Naru? And how would he react to the knowledge that Gene was still haunting Mai's dreams?

She noticed Naru sizing her up and couldn't quite place the meaning behind the look. "You need to learn how to wake yourself up." The words were neutral, his mocking tone wasn't.

Mai tried not to be too defensive. "So I've been told." His assessing eyes narrowed carefully as he realized that she hadn't quite disagreed with him.

The silence between them roiled as both tried to figure out what to say. He studied the wall above her head.

"Were you going to tell me about Gene, or just keep it between you two idiots?"

"No."

"There were two questions: No, you aren't going to tell me, or no, we aren't going to be morons and lie to your boss," he responded dryly.

She waited, weighing her answer. "I wasn't going to tell you. It just makes you worry." Her posture softened as she looked up at him.

It probably wasn't the right thing to say as Naru's jaw tensed considerably. His tongue was no less rigid. "He's asked you not to tell me, right?" He didn't wait for an answer, and his fisted hand struck out behind him, rattling the shoji. She heard him growling and muttering incoherent insults. His eyes darted left and right thinking, rising upward and then settling on her.

"We both decided together," she clarified. Mai felt the awkwardness more surely as he still wouldn't say anything. She knew he was thinking unfathomable things, at least, to her. They both thought in such ridiculously dissimilar ways.

"When I want two idiots making decisions for me, I'll allow you the privilege. Until then, tell my stupid brother that he's doing a terrible job at being a guardian."

"You could tell him yourself." Mai made to stand, moving achingly slow as to find out how hurt she was before she really did some damage. Surprisingly, nothing hurt. She lifted up the bottom of her shirt, careful to turn away from Naru, so as not to flash him. Flat, untouched skin. The wound hadn't affected her in reality and for that she was thankful. Mai arched her back, and let out a noise of approval when it popped satisfyingly.

What she had said as a casual comment had hit Naru harder than she'd intended. His face was dark and clearly, this conversation had ended when she studied his withdrawn look.

Steering clear of any further disagreements was harder than she thought as most topics between them were likely to combust when they were within a stone's throw distance.

"Did you find out who the Nobu child is," she tried.

Like he hadn't just reprimanded her thoroughly, he told her, "Yes, Matsushita-san identified the child Nobu as her younger cousin."

"Matsushita-san? You mean Tamako." Naru nodded.

"We've already spoken to his mother over the phone. Nothing Hara-san described about the event sounded familiar to the boy. We asked to speak in person, and were denied without further reasoning given. Yasuhara-san is going to try again later, but the mother was adamant that her child had never been to the house. He's only three, which doesn't match the description Hara-san provided. How old do you think the boys were?"

Mai thought back. "Probably seven or eight, maybe older. I'm not terribly good at pegging ages on people." She stared meaningfully at him. A smirk barely perked the corners of his mouth and Mai had to glance away to save face. That small movement was enough to set her heart racing and she knew it was a mix between embarrassment and resentment she was feeling.

Mai knew he knew how to smile, but the occasion on which he did was often rare. "Too true, but admitting your weaknesses is the first step to enlightenment."

Mai eyed him hopefully. "Any weaknesses you care to share with me? It's for your own benefit, of course."

"You're impulsive, you can't make it through one case without doing something stupid, your sole use involves you sleeping on the job, you're disagreeable, you're disagreeable _in front of clients_—"

"—I wasn't talking about me," Mai griped.

He tilted his head, as if now understanding. And there it was again, he was suddenly angry and Mai didn't know why. What was he thinking? Once upon a time, on her first case with Naru, she had been able to pick up another latent psychics thoughts before she said them. Naru surmised that she was just beginning to experience her precognition in short bursts._ 'When I'm __**awake**__?'_ she'd argued. He had shrugged in response. Mai had never hoped for telepathy, as it seemed to bring more problems than to serve as useful, but now she'd willingly pay the price, if for just a minute she could tell what he was thinking. To understand how she could help him.

Naru was restraining the anger he felt, but Mai could still feel it, boiling gently under the surface. Normally, he wouldn't hold back from letting her hear his wrath, but lately, he wouldn't even share that with her. He was withdrawing, pushing her farther away, so as to not confuse her already tumultuous emotions even further. That was Naru's mercy. That was her suffering.

Naru watched Mai's face visibly sink, and she stared at her feet with emphasis on ignoring him. He watched her and could visibly trace a path to when a thought struck her. The misery on her face faded under new distraction.

"You said that the son had never been to this place? Was the yard in my vision here?"

"Out the back, Masako identified the trees. Lin and John are currently digging up the grounds, trying to find what the boys were burying."

"And Bou-san was on the phone," she suggested, prodding along the conversation.

"For information regarding all the Buddhist statuaries and paraphernalia." Mai looked at him questioningly. He pointed above her head. "The lamp is a lotus flower. You must have noticed," he said staunchly. "A prominent symbol in Buddhist culture."

"I know that," she hissed.

"What else did you notice than with Buddhist influence?"

"Just tell me!"

"The hearth, the several Buddhist statues around the house. How about the paintings along the shoji? Noticed any themes of enlightenment, or of men descending from the mountains? The organization of the tatami? No, what about the tea then?"

"The tea?" Mai asked, confused.

"Hydrangea sweet tea. Used in some small ceremonies, or so the monk said."

Oh. Mai swept whatever had been covering her off to the side. Belatedly, she noticed it was a jacket. She glanced from Naru to the black jacket. "Is this yours?" she asked carefully.

He nodded curtly.

Again, her heart sunk, feeling like it was trying to claw its way out the back of her ribcage—if only to escape the confinements of continually subjecting yourself to such pain.

Mai's heart seemed to be smarter than her head, but all the same, it was also the stupid thing that loved what was causing her so much pain. Masochistic thing.

Mai tried to smile encouragingly, but Naru knew when she was being false. He didn't say anything though, opting to leave her to her own secrets. "Let's see how Lin and John are managing, eh? I'm sure they should have been back by now and if they aren't, there must be a problem."

"Something else for me to solve."

"Shut up. If there wasn't a mystery to solve you wouldn't be interested." Mai tossed his jacket at him and slipped her shoes back on. Someone had pulled them off when she'd been sleeping—well, unconscious.

Really, it was all just semantics.

* * *

These chapters are really lengthy. I apologize for that, but as I have trouble finishing stories, I set my boundaries for five chapters and its really very constraining. As I'm writing it now, it may have to be extended.

Chapter 3: The Sublime Child


	3. The Sublime Child

**Aversion Theory**

Chapter 3: The Sublime Child

* * *

12.19.09

* * *

The backyard wasn't nearly as large as the front. In fact, it was about a quarter of the size of the front yard and laid on the back corner of the property. Like the front garden, the bushes and grounds were largely unkempt and overgrown. Even Mai commented on the poor state of things, and she usually kept her judgments to herself, but this was just…decrepit.

John was on the ground by Masako's feet, massaging his wrists that were sore from jabbing the shovel into the hardened soil. Lin was leaning against a shovel that he had skewered in the ground like a flag of defeat with a dark, sour expression on his face. Masako was staring off into the distance as Mai and Naru made their way to join the group.

Around them, Mai noticed almost a dozen holes embedded into the surrounding soil. They weren't very deep, a foot at most, but it was more than enough to swallow Mai's foot and then some. She stumbled and barely caught herself when she grabbed an extended tree branch within reaching distance. The rough bark scraped against her hands, but Mai didn't complain. After being prone to injury after all these years, she was beginning to acknowledge her fate with a begrudging acceptance. It was going to happen. It was only a matter of when.

Naru didn't pause in his step. The only acknowledgment of her tripping was a subdued disbelieving shake of his head.

When everyone was silent, Mai chimed in, "Well, how's the search going?" A nervous smile perked John's lips.

"Obviously, poorly, Mai." Naru berated her. He then gestured to the holes. "I take it none of these were successful in finding anything."

Mai was grateful that Yasuhara had taken Ayako into town to see if the townhall had the floor plans of the house and to pick up groceries. Not only would Ayako not have helped dig, she would have complained about how long they were sitting outside being useless. Mai was thankful for small favors.

Lin met Naru's steady gaze with one of his own. "Maybe the children didn't bury anything."

Masako huffed, turning at an angle to address the group. "I saw them bury something. It's there."

"Maybe you haven't found the right spot yet." Lin's tone was sharp and worn down from probably searching fruitlessly.

Naru nudged Mai. She stumbled forward and looked back at him. "_What?_" she asked in sharp tone, not loud, but bitter.

He looked skyward for help, pleading for the patience to deal with his slow employee, but his wish was never granted. "You were in the dream. Where were the kids digging?"

"At the base of a tree," she offered. Lin gestured to the holes in a sarcastic palm-up flourish. None of them seemed quite right. Scuffing her feet against the weeds, she took a moment to think back to her dream.

She walked to stand behind Naru and made sure to avoid the hole she had first stepped in. In the dream, her back had been to the house, as the mother's voice had come from behind her. She sidestepped right, pondered the angle, then stepped over to the left to adjust the view to what she had seen. Decisively, she walked over to an already excavated hole and then shifted to the right, pointing to a mossy patch of ground next to the tree's root.

"Here."

"We've just dug there," John started cautiously. "Are you sure that's the spot before we chase this fowl any further?" Mai squinted her eyes at his odd choice of wording. She wasn't sure of what he meant.

Her hands set sternly upon her hips. "Here," she mimed again.

John slowly pushed to his feet, joined shortly by Lin as the two unearthed about five inches of dirt before something shiny caught Masako's eye. She ghosted across the lawn lightly on her feet and then pointed at the clod of solidified earth.

"Here. Something's in the dirt." They eyed the medium, waiting as she stared back before they realized that she wasn't going to get her hands dirty. John shrugged off his gardening gloves, a pair he'd found in the backyard shack and slowly the dirt fell away under his careful movements.

"Hah!" Mai pointed a finger at Naru and smirked smugly. She put a finger to her chin accompanied by a thoughtful look. "I know. You don't have tell me how impressive I am sometimes."

"Shocking is what it is," he replied flatly.

"I'd say useful."

"You're overreaching."

John cleared his throat and held up what looked to be a small statue. It was made of copper, rusted metal about eight inches tall. When Mai saw how the statue was posed, she slapped a hand against her forehead dramatically.

"Shaka-nyorai," she explained. "That's what the little boy was saying: Shaka-sama. He's in Buddhist theology."

Mai tried to lean closer over him to get a better look at the statue, but thought better of it as she didn't want to hover over the priest. Naru gestured to Lin to keep digging in case anything else was left.

"May I?" John handed her the statue. The metal was an icy chill settled in her palm. For its size, it felt awfully heavy to Mai, probably from having been buried for a long period of time. The small statue was dressed in robes with a plump, universal Buddha face.

"What does the pose mean? The way his hands are arranged?" John asked.

"One hand is pointed facing the sky and the other is pointed towards the earth. In Buddhism, it's to show that he has taken possession of both the sky and the earth."

"What else?" Naru prompted as if waiting for something she couldn't even start to pretend to have clue about.

Mai shrugged sheepishly. "That's all I really know." He nodded and Mai wondered if he was actually disappointed. "Let's get inside. Lin, if you would, set up a conference call with Bou-san. There are some questions I think he'll be able to address."

* * *

Lin had found two other objects buried in the dirt with the statue. One had been a colorful piece of rope, the colors bleached out from being buried for such a long time. An aged piece of circular steal hung off of the rope. Batsu-chin, the name of the family cat, had been etched into the metal. It was the cat's collar. The other item was a tad more grotesque as it was the bodies of two headless parakeets. The bones were all that was left, picked clean by bacteria and other scavengers after being buried for so many years.

Lin pulled a molded iron mask off of the wall and gestured to it poignantly. Judging by how easy he lifted it, Mai assumed it wasn't too heavy. "It's a gigaku mask," he explained with his usual ease. When she gave him a questioning look, he continued, "It was used by religious dancers a few centuries back at Buddhist festivals." To Mai, it looked like an almost human with turkey jowls hanging off of its plump cheekbones. Mai tried not to laugh as she imagined someone wearing that face and dancing circles around her. How she wouldn't be able to keep a straight face.

They were in the living room again. Yasuhara and Ayako had made it back in one piece a few hours later and everyone was gathered to pitch ideas back and forth until they produced something useful, or until Naru let them all in on what he was thinking, whichever came first. On the phone, Mai could hear Bou-san's baritone voice through static passes. The only other person missing was Yasuhara who was manning the base to make sure they didn't miss any abnormal fluctuations.

In a dark corner of the room, Tamako was watching the group again. It wasn't quite dark out yet, but the room didn't have any windows to provide ample light as it was the central room in the house. Mai balanced the tray in the crook of her arm as she handed off a cup of tea to Ayako. She set the rest on the short table and tucked her legs under her as she sat down to join the rest.

"Sorry, it's the only tea they had." Ayako waved her away.

"Hydrangea is just fine." But Mai could tell the miko didn't like it the moment she took her first sip. Willfully, Ayako took another sip and then set it down gently on the low table.

Mai's knees bumped the table as she scooted forward, rattling the glassware and earning a sharp look from Naru for interrupting what he was saying. The chill in the air was probably due to the thin walls and the fact that there was no central heating. Mai mourned that small modern luxury. She had thrown a jacket on, but was currently rubbing her hands over her thighs in an effort to keep them from going numb. Furtively and discreetly, she eyed the unlit fireplace.

The smell of food tickled her nose and made her mouth water while she looked around curiously. The onigiri on the table in front of her that Ayako had prepared was untouched. No one else was eating. Mournfully, she would wait for everyone else even though she wanted to sink her teeth in and stuff herself full until she hurt.

"Lotus lamps, Buddhist scenery, a gigaku mask? That's old, and odd. Ayako, did you just say Hydrangea tea?"

The miko bristled at the informality, but nodded. Realizing he couldn't see her nod, she answered. "Yes, it's hydrangea."

"Ceremonial tea. Hm." Bou-san's voice sounded digital and distorted over the speakerphone. "And Naru, you mentioned something about the walls being marked up. Scratched or something, what did you determine?"

"The marks are there, but it wasn't made by human fingernails. The indentations are too deep and even. We're thinking something sharp and thin. Most likely a knife."

Mai shuddered, imagining the type of person it would take to drag a knife down the hallways with no qualms. Someone angry. Maybe deranged. Either way, Mai wouldn't want to run into them.

Ayako nudged Mai with her foot. "You cold?" Mai shook her head, quickly dismissing the miko and nodded back to the speakerphone as Bou-san was still talking. Tamako moved to sit next to Mai.

She spoke quietly, so as not to disturb the others, though Naru was probably her only concern. "I can light a fire in the hearth if you'd like."

Mai shared a kind look with her. "With what? There's no wood or kindling."

Tamako looked around the room speculatively. "Well…we could just pull some of the floorboards…it's not like anyone uses this house." She wrinkled her nose and Mai couldn't tell if she was serious or not. From her short time of knowing Tamako, the girl probably _would_ pull the floorboards out and burn them.

"I'm sure we can find someth—"

Mai glanced up and noticed Naru glaring at her again. She'd purposely been good and quiet too; It wasn't her fault this house was an icebox.

"Someone in the family?" Takigawa suggested.

"Possibly. Or maybe a transient passing through though there's no graffiti or signs of a person camping out here." Naru continued as if he hadn't just scolded her, even if it wasn't verbal. Nothing seemed to ever faze him.

"Well, it sounds to me that maybe the house is out of balance. Not karma, or Zen, but the same principle. Because of all the Buddhist blessings present in the area the good influence is outweighing the bad and that's a precursor for spirits, though its usually opposite way around—more bad, less good. Buddhism is, more or less, a religion of balance within the universe at large, so I guess the opposite influence would have the same potential for incurring spirits. Kind of like the wheel of karma idea."

John interrupted. "Forgive me for asking, but wheel of karma?"

"The idea that if you balance out your good acts and your bad acts, you'll have reached Zen, attain enlightenment and stop the cycle of reincarnation. That's the short, chopped up version." Takigawa's voice cut out.

"What was that?" Naru asked as Takigawa's voice faded.

His answer was delayed. "Nothing. I was just in a tunnel. So you found a statue of Shaka-nyorai buried with two decapitated birds and a collar? Any luck with that?"

"That is the reason we contacted you. I don't believe I know of any Buddhist rituals involving death or sacrifices."

Static. "Nope. Nothing quite like that. Mai, you saw the two kids pouring something of the ground over the spot they buried the statue?"

"Yes. From a bowl, or a small saucer."

"Was it clear or colored?"

Mai puzzled over this. Sighing, she said, "I don't know. The color of the vision was shifting. I think it might have been blue at the time, but that means nothing for the liquid."

"I'm guessing it was probably just the hydrangea tea. If you've got a stock of it in the house and other Shaka-nyorai statues around, it would make sense."

"How so?" Naru asked, scratching out notes on his pad.

Naru didn't wait for an answer. "If this is the case, could the misbalance have drawn spirits here?"

"Spirit," Masako corrected. Naru ignored her.

Takigawa continued as he hadn't heard her. "Huh, doubtful. It just provides a breeding ground, but it wouldn't act as catalyst unless there were some particularly devout followers of the faith as well as some followers of darker things. Voodoo, Sumerian witchcraft, other western craft I don't know," he supplied. "You need a person with either a stout faith or some real power to draw out the supernatural spirits. Mundane people don't normally do it as well. That's why Naru's probably run across so many latent psychics as the source of the problem."

"Thank you for your time, Bou-san." Naru's voice was clipped, but meaningful. Mai still thought gratitude sounded awkward on his tongue.

Mai leaned over the table, closer to the phone. "Bye Bou-san! Wish you were here."

"Me too, Jou-chan. Try not to fall into any hellholes or deep chasms."

* * *

Mai pulled the blanket up and over her knees and tucked the ends carefully underneath her to trap the heat in. Her toes were frigid, her knees were stiff from cold and the house had taken on a strange smell the later it got in the day. By evening, the smell had faded, and Mai had to wonder if it was from the pseudo-swamp in the front yard.

In the corner, Tamako was curled up on her side with her backpack tucked under her head as a pillow. Mai felt bad taking the couch, but Tamako wouldn't hear anything of it. Soon enough their young client had fallen asleep looking awkward and uncomfortable, but silent.

Across the way, Mai watched Naru reclining on the couch opposite her as he ordered Yasuhara around without even looking up from his notes, an impressive feat as he was telling him how to build the fire up in the hearth. Yasuhara was managing the fire, stoking the minuscule flame and idly tossing cloaked barbs at Naru, who never seemed to mind him too much. Or at least, minded him much less so than Takigawa or Ayako or even Mai.

Naru brought the pen to his temple as he struggled to recall what he had been thinking. His mind felt heavy and weary, probably close to the time he should get to sleep, but after watching his assistant lapse into a vision barely a day into their investigation, he was loathe to let her out of his sight. From the corner of his eye, he saw Mai tuck her chin into her shoulder, slyly trying to slip a glance at him. She was so painfully obvious that it worried him sometimes. She was young, silly and in love with his brother, albeit his _dead_ brother, and she was too stubborn to admit to it. Or maybe too unintelligent to really know it. Naru stretched his neck to the side and heard the joints pop uncomfortably a couple times, letting him know that it was about time he got some rest—but not until after she fell asleep.

To the side, Mai huffed loudly and lifted her paper towards the ceiling like she was trying to use the light to look through it. She made a great show of scrawling more notes furiously and then she scratched a giant 'X' across the entire page. Knowing he was watching, she turned to him with a subdued grin, her lip caught between her teeth.

"Use your words, Mai."

"What? You didn't know that's what you look like? You sigh obnoxiously loud when you're tired," she whispered, worried about waking Tamako up. Naru's expression was oddly vacant.

Without responding, he went back to his papers, and licked his finger to flip the page over when it wouldn't budge. It was obvious Mai was sleepy and bored by the way her lids were drooped heavily and the way she was casually trying to bait him. If he ignored her long enough, she would fall asleep—

"Should we be in this room, not back at the base?"

Naru's pen snapped against the paper as he set it down. "Don't be coy, Mai. Ask what you're really thinking."

Mai rubbed her stiff neck and rolled over onto her side, blinking innocently at him. Dropping the pretense, she let her notes fall into her lap. "Why are we in this room and not back at base watching the monitors? Not that I'm ungrateful that we're here—where there's a fire." She gestured meaningfully towards the fire and savored the feeling of warmth that had begun to sink into her feet and all the way up to the tips of her ears.

"There has been no report of activity in this room. When Masako patrolled, she determined there were no spirits in here. Shall I ask her to do it again because you don't find her results to your liking? Or would you rather move back to the base that doesn't have a fireplace? Hm?" He surveyed her, eyebrows raised.

Yasuhara, for once, opted to leave the two alone rather than interfere. The tall student sauntered to the door, and when he felt the burn of two stares at the center of his back, he turned, trying to appease them. "Someone should keep Lin-san company." Moving like he had been prompted, Naru started to stand when Yasuhara spoke, but was quickly waved back down. "Not the smartest idea, Shochou. Leaving the client and your most trouble-prone employee alone with me." He shrugged. "I may be incredibly smart and have roguish good looks, but that won't stop a spirit from steamrolling me," he said with straight-faced sincerity.

Naru merely nodded and reclined back into the couch again. Yasuhara ran his hand along the trim of the door again, momentarily waiting for reproach. When it didn't come, he waved at Mai. She sleepily waved back.

Naru felt his head tip forward as the exhaustion began to build. To his right, Mai was fighting the same losing battle. The quietness in the room along the fire cracking in the background as ambient sound was soothing.

Mai's bell-toned voice cut through his near-sleep. "You didn't have to build a fire for me."

Her only response was his pen scratching against the paper. More notes.

"I didn't build a fire at all."

"Who's being coy now?" She tried for sharp wit, but her tone was too sluggish.

He traded his notepad for a book and started leafing through to the dog-eared pages. Mai tried reading the title. English again. She couldn't read it at the awkward angle she was at and through her sleep-heavy eyes.

"You know you could try being nicer to Tamako," she ventured quietly.

Naru set the book down on his chest. She would keep talking if she thought he was awake. It was better to feign sleep than to have to listen to her idle musings he didn't care for.

"Or anyone, for that matter," she said vaguely.

She didn't want to go to sleep yet, but wrapped in a cocoon of warmth, wrapped up in a blanket, she was rapidly fading. "I mean why go to all the trouble of bring mean only to in the end be nice. It's very—"

"Altruistic," he supplied, eyes closed.

"Bipolar was more what I was thinking."

They both seemed to consider this as no one said a word.

"I prefer the nicer Naru," Mai yawned to him. Naru noticed that the more tired she got, the braver she became. He'd do his best to avoid this in the future for both their sakes.

"You mean Gene," he said with the same inattentiveness.

"Gene isn't the one I thought I was dreaming of. He isn't the one I want to smile at me."

Naru couldn't hide the scowl on his face, but he opened his eyes to make sure she hadn't been looking at him to catch the expression. "Go to sleep before you realize what you're saying."

Mai's head lolled to the side. He was almost positive she was asleep, but just in case. "Mai."

No response. Satisfied, Naru reached back and stretched until he heard pop after little pop echo down his spine.

"I think we should question Nobu-kun again before you do anything," she murmured, jerking Naru awake. Mai still was flopped onto her side, one arm draped languidly off the couch. Asleep.

_Like use your psychometry._

He'd heard her say the first aloud, and then the second…was in his head? Curiously, he focused on the soft expression on her face, the wisps of brown hair askew in different directions and wondered if this was indeed something else she was developing and had latent capabilities in. Her mouth hung open softly and he could hear her exhaling evenly from over where he was sitting. Definitely asleep.

He certainly had never been telepathic. His abilities lay in the physical realm of energy manipulation. What else was this girl able to do? Even though she hadn't told him, he'd noticed on the last few cases that she was astral projecting, or astral _walking, _more often and with far more ease. Hopefully, Gene was helping to rein in her powers, but knowing his flagrant brother, he was more likely encouraging her to do increasingly more dangerous and stupid things just because it was entertaining for him and allowed him to spend more time with her. Naru wasn't stupid. The few times he'd worked up the nerve to speak with his brother in his afterlife (as soon as Mai had offered to play conduit) Naru could tell the fondness his brother carried for Mai.

It struck a distinct nerve in Naru. While he got her waking hours, he had to share her in her unconscious form to his brother. No doubt it was his fault in the first place; he had gone to Mai's school, after all, she hadn't tracked _him down._ Or offered _him a job._ If he had known Mai had begun contacting Gene so long ago, what would he have done? The thought quickly subsided. Naru didn't believe in 'what ifs' and even if he did, how could he begrudge his twin the only worldly connection he possessed—even if it was Mai. Mai, who claimed she loved him, and just wouldn't leave well enough _alone._ In his endless logic, he had mulled the question over and over again in his mind: how could she love him? If it was a choice between twins, the answer was obvious. Naru was intelligent, work-obsessed, arrogant, tacit and rude to her. Gene was gentle, probably not _as _smart, knew how to flirt, and cared for things beyond Naru's narrow worldview.

For breeding, animals chose the strongest mate—the one who could best pass along the genetics to the offspring and defend against threats. For love, humans chose compassionate companions who could support each other and survive in a money-hungry world. Gene was dead. Naru was alive. The scale of judgment between the twins just might slip in his favor if she considered the last as the deciding factor.

As far as Mai went, the breeding theory started to seem more plausible. After all, as Naru had once told her, she possessed an innate 'animal instinct,' a latent capability; albeit, a not very flattering one. Sighing miserably, he rolled onto his side and tried to get comfortable. At this point, he knew that once he started comparing Mai and himself to breeding stock, he really needed to go to sleep.

* * *

Mai had drifted off to sleep surrounded by warmth, but nothing quite like this. She had awoken to a similar feeling, only the heat was rapidly becoming unbearable. She kicked her foot out trying to throw the sheets off to allow for some relief, but she could barely feel floating fabric against her skin. Her face felt flushed, so hot that she had to be sweating. She reached up to touch her head and flinched as she felt hot liquid drip on her face and onto her eyelids, then forehead.

Her eyes snapped open and she bolted upright, rigid. Around her, water splashed violently as she twisted around trying to get her bearings straight. The pool of water was only a foot and a half deep, but she had been resting in it up to her neck.

The pool was actually a giant bathhouse she couldn't see an end to, completely outfitted in brilliant white-colored wood, so beautiful and perfect that Mai knew it couldn't possibly be real. She was definitely dreaming.

Cautiously, she stood and only then did she realize that she was naked—or naked enough. A thin, gauzy and transparent shawl was her only adornment. It was collared low at the base of her neck and the fabric split down the middle of her front, so that when she finally moved, she would be able to walk in it. Soaking, it clung to her and wound tightly like a second skin at the crook of her elbow where it billowed downward and disappeared into the pink tinged water.

The air should have been cold around her with the thin sheet as her only protection, but steam was billowing from the pool creating a haze of fog around her.

She tried to imagine clothes into being because she knew that while it was a dream, she wouldn't want to be caught unguarded… and naked. It wasn't merely unfair, it was cruel. She wrapped her hands tightly around the gauze-like shawl and clutched a wad of it to her chest.

Mai almost resigned herself to the nude dream (she'd dreamt of being naked at school before and that had been embarrassing enough) until she remembered one important factor. Gene. Gene would most likely be wandering her dream and then they would run into each other; one person naked, the other so startled he would probably die again. Mai blushed furiously which only made her feel all the more hot in the room. The clouded air had a sickly sweet smell to it, something familiar that Mai couldn't place, try as she might.

She heard a splash from across the room and immediately sunk into the shallow wading pool with a startled squeak until she was chin deep. Tiny bubbles floated up when she exhaled. With nothing to protect her dignity, she waited in the shallows with her shaking knees tucked uncomfortably under her. She almost missed it, but suddenly she heard the delicate sound of waves…

Mai was stuck. For minutes on end, she only sat there frozen and prepared to die of embarrassment right then and there if someone saw her. Gritting her teeth, she gathered her courage and pushed to her feet. The water rippled and swished as she walked towards the noise. Mai pulled at the length of the shawl as she walked, bunching as much as possible in front of her, while crossing her hands in front of her breasts. Awkwardly, she knew this the best she could do with out sacrificing complete mobility.

The sound of splashing became louder as she waded through the pool. It got more and more shallow as she steadily approached the source of the noise. At the edge of the bath, a blond man was settled with his head craned backward and resting against the ledge, his arms upright in a relaxing posture. He lifted a small wooden ladle, dipped it in the water and poured it over his head. Mai watched him, mesmerized by his passive face and gentle ministrations. Mai waited for the feeling of fear to take over, her ability's preemptive warning her with a sinking feeling in her stomach.

Nothing.

Well, her dreams always had a purpose—she might as well see where the dream was trying to lead her. And where was that no-good Gene?

Not waiting to find out if this man was good or bad (or indifferent to her as she might just be watching the past), Mai backpedaled behind a white pillar. Clumsily, her foot twisted in the endless length of the see-through shawl and she tumbled onto her back submerging her entire body into the pink-tinged water. She felt a painful twinge of fire in her knee as it awkwardly twisted, caught between her fall and the fabric pulling in another direction. Scrambling to right herself, Mai clawed at the shawl and pulled the tail end off of her face as she struggled with it underwater. As she broke the surface of the water, she sputtered, coughing up some of the fluid from her lungs.

She heaved violently twice, but nothing came up. Disoriented, she turned to look for the blond man as there was no way he hadn't just heard the commotion she had caused. By the ledge where he had doused himself with water was the ladle by itself. Irritated at being naked, but more so at being _confined_ by the stupid cloth, Mai pulled at the material that trapped her arms and constricted the movement of her hands. She kept bundling and pulling at the cloth for some time, but the length of it was never-ending. It was like she was the center point of a canvas and where she moved it moved. It wasn't clothing so much as a collar. Growling, she dug her fingers between the collar and the skin of her neck and tore, but the thin material didn't budge, strong as steel.

Noise startled her. Every muscle in Mai's body tensed, corded with fear when she heard water swishing calmly behind her. She spun and for once the shawl moved with her, allowing her the freedom to move and not choke herself. Only in a dream… In reality, the shawl would have twisted and knotted around her neck, its movement slowed by the water.

She let out a startled breath, but didn't scream. Towering above her was the pale blond man, garbed in an all white Buddhist robe with brown trim. Mai gaped. He was walking on the water.

His head quirked inquisitively, an empty look on his face.

His voice, when he spoke, was not baritone like she expected. It was oddly androgynous.

"You're not a Sublime Child."

Not knowing how to answer, Mai merely gaped back unattractively at him in response.

He watched her for a couple minutes, unmoving. The feeling of fear—her fight or flight response finally ignited. _Better late than never. _Mai considered running. Not that she would get very far with the inconvenient shawl, but that wouldn't stop her from trying.

The man's gaze roamed her up and down, crown to toe, but if he thought anything, it didn't show on his face. The empty, passive look sent a shiver of fear up her back.

He glanced up at the ceiling slowly. "Is she an offering?"

Mai didn't like the sound of that, but didn't move. If prey made a quick movement, the predators tended to pounce and Mai didn't want to find out if he was higher on the food chain yet.

Was she supposed to answer? Mai glanced to her sides, but found no one else.

Above her, the off-white ceiling glowed a violent white before blinking out. As if he had been answered, the strange blond suddenly grinned, looking pleased and held a hand out to her.

Around her, Mai felt the atmosphere shift. The ethereal lights in the room dimmed out until lamps blinked into existence, lighting up the surrounding area with an orange veil. The water looked like a deep crimson now, clinging thickly to her skin. Not quite blood as the consistency was too thin, but nonetheless disenchanting.

Obvious impatience twisted the man's face. She still hadn't accepted his hand and her knee was pulsing in pain. Mai staggered to her feet on her injured knee and held out a cautionary hand.

"Don't come near me," she warned. The thin shawl spread from fingertip to fingertip like webbing. As her tone turned fierce, the shawl began to deteriorate, shredding like a hand through cobwebs and fell to her side. Tentatively, she held the other hand up and the shawl dissipated there as well, allowing her full-fledged movement.

The man's face grew dark. "You're my offering. Come here," he said insistently like he was talking to a small child.

Mai scowled back. "I think I'll have to decline." Without provocation, Mai felt the water at her feet and around her calves start to move like a current. She pitched forward when it turned violent and the current became a heavy push. As the water moved faster, her feet lost grip on the ground and she was swept roughly onto her rear. Like those terrifying water slides that she hated, she was skidding towards the man, the current tossed her about like a torrent.

She shrieked loudly and rolled to her stomach, trying to grab anything for purchase. She was heading towards a pillar and beyond that was the vortex. At the blond man's feet, he calmly stood in a circling whirlpool which she was headed for.

"Mai!" Someone yelled. A flash of white signaled that the pillar was close. She grasped the edge with one hand and immediately clamped down with her other hand. The water pushed at her, battered her hands and her face in a relentless rush of white water. Familiar black filled her vision and the waters abruptly calmed, steadily settling back into a pool. One hand wrapped around hers and dragged her to her feet before crushing her in a painful embrace.

She looked up and was caught by sympathetic cerulean eyes. Gene. He stretched the edge of his jacket around her as far as he could to provide some modesty, but Mai assumed it was mostly for her benefit as when would any teenage male cover up a nude girl? She appreciated the small effort.

The blond man's robes shifted from white to all brown like ink bleeding on paper, and the lamps around the room blazed like tiny suns.

"Is he another offering?" Obviously, the man was deranged as he had asked the ceiling again, Mai observed. Then the room darkened perceptibly before lighting up again. Mai hadn't noticed before, but the room was actually responding to this man. It had said 'no' this time, or so Mai guessed. The blond man nodded minutely and then extended his hand out, placid once more.

"Give her to me," he ordered.

"Pass," Gene said curtly.

"She is an offering from above."

"She's an underage teenage girl, you bloody creep."

Mai nudged him harshly. "I'm seventeen," she hissed. He slid her a pointed glare.

Gene yelled all the louder. "This is no sanctum! This girl—" he gestured vaguely to Mai, "—is alive and breathing. You're dead. A spirit—" Mai noticed the blond man growing steadily angrier and angrier. Gene seemed to have not noticed until she jabbed an elbow into his side. Gene's specialty for communicating with spirits and helping them move on to the next world seemed to have rapidly diminished upon his own death.

"You're not helping," she intoned in a high pitch.

In front of her eyes, the blond man disappeared from her view. She twisted sharply in Gene's arms, and both looked about for vanished man.

"Gene," she whispered nervously. He turned hurriedly to observe the room from all angles. He hushed her with a hand over her mouth and kept glancing about.

Abruptly, Gene's body jerked and Mai felt pain blossoming in her own chest. Her shriek was muffled under Gene's palm. His arms slid from around her and Mai was roughly thrown back. She rolled once and jarred her arms in an effort to stop.

Eyes wide with panic, she spotted gleaming metal protruding from under the arch of his ribcage—right where his heart should be. Shock filled his eyes, but then rigid determination replaced it. He grasped the metal between his hands and shoved it backward before he gasped, collapsing to his knees. Mai couldn't see the blood on his black clothing, but knew it was soaking his shirt as the pool beneath him grew a darker red than before.

"Gene," she said harshly as if the force of her voice alone could bolster his resolve—like it would be enough. Trying to hold himself upright, he planted a firm palm against ground for support as he hunched over with his other hand on his chest, breathing raggedly.

Mai gawked gracelessly. It was Gene who had taught her that they don't feel pain in dreams, that real physics don't apply in dreams, that they couldn't actually _get hurt _in dreams.

"_You don't breathe, you don't sweat, you don't really exist," he'd said._

_What a load of bull._

Well, Gene had to be wrong some of the time. After all, he wasn't his perfect, aggravating, over-intelligent brother.

Behind the crouched Gene, the blond man held the eight-inch blade coated with blood. A leisurely look marred the man's face. Gene's side caved under the pressure of well-placed kick to his abdomen. He grunted, flying sideways into a pillar and Mai screamed for him when he landed in a heap in the water. His head submerged and red seeped into the water around him. Even now, in the dream, he could drown and possibly permanently disappear from her non-waking life forever. Normally, Mai wouldn't have thought it possible, but obviously Gene was mistaken. He'd said they couldn't be hurt and he had to be wrong.

Mai glanced down to her own wound. The tip of the knife and gone through Gene and pierced into her. A steady stream of red trailed from the small sliver in her chest. It was a different pain than her knee, sharp, persistent and hot like someone was holding a torch to her chest. It was unlike the campfire feeling in her knee, a warm flame to toast marshmallows to.

Mai high-stepped through the water trying to reach Gene before he ended his second existence. She was stopped short when she was yanked from feet and slammed heavily onto her back with a hand around her middle. In the foot-and-a-half water, she easily submerged with a shriek of _Gene!_

Water flooded her nose and throat. She thrashed, tearing at the hand around her waist, violently trying to break the surface to get air. Her fist flailed out and struck something solid. Cold air hit her face and she sucked in air greedily before coughing to force the water from her lungs. She twisted to all fours and tried to scramble away before she was jerked to a stop by the collar of the shawl around her neck. She choked at the force and fell into the water again as she was tugged back by the material like a leash.

When she broke the surface, she was shaking and tired from lack of oxygen. Mai risked a glance at Gene from her peripherals, but kept the blond man trained in her sight. Her guardian ghost was still face down, unmoving.

Wheezing, she fisted her hand in the material of the shawl and tried to rip it from his hands. He chuckled, amused at her feeble attempt. Warm tears, hotter than the water, slid down her face as he stalked closer to her. She roughly wiped a palm over her head to smooth her fringe from her eyes. If she was going to fight, she was going to need to see as clearly as possible.

The closer he got, the lower the water level seemed to drop. Pieces of her shawl fell away, dissolving into the water until only the collar was left. The heavy piece slowly tore from the back and slid heavily down her front, retreating into the water. Free of hindrances and with lower water, Mai could move easier. She needed to get to Gene, but to do that, she needed to get rid of that bastard first.

Mai, modest until the end, covered herself with one hand across her breasts and stood shakily. The blond man's face held the slightest hint of a smile. Abruptly, she turned and ran, only to hit him smack dab into his chest. He shoved her down and without the water to cushion her, her fall was less forgiving. The side of her forehead hit the bath floor and dazed her. Mai screamed as weight pressed her down into the floor.

"Gene!" she yelled. Her hands skittered, beating against man in rapid-fire form. He seized one wrist and pinned it to her side, yanking it out of socket painfully. She wedged a knee between them and shoved. His free hand caught the kick and wrapped around the bottom of her thigh just above her knee and squeezed until the cried out from the pressure.

"Get off of me!" Her head snapped back painfully as he fisted his hand in her short hair. The other trailed over her side, but Mai was far from done. She tucked her knee to her chest and then struck out, planting it firmly in the center of the man's chest. He was heavy and it was hard to aim with the bulky robes cloaking his actually slender frame, but he was still tossed back a foot. Not nearly enough. She saw the knife in his hand then. Cowering, she could only watch as the hilt end roughly connected her head.

* * *

Tamako didn't know what to do. Taniyama-san was thrashing on the couch and violently at that. Gently, the teenager rested a hand against the older girl's forehead. Her hand was knocked away by Mai's, but not before she had felt her burning temperature.

Mai suddenly jerked, twisting to her side and almost fell off the couch had Tamako not caught her by winding her arms around her upper half.

"Taniyama-san," she grunted heavily.

Mai's head lolled and her eyes began to flutter open weakly, bleary and trying to clear her sight. Mai's forehead was damp with perspiration, her fringe clumped in sections.

"Taniyama-san, are you all right? What's wrong?" Mai's eyes clenched painfully and she groaned, but swallowed it down by pursing her lips tightly together.

When she could speak, she said, "Naru—get Naru."

Tamako nodded and helped Mai roll fully back onto the couch. The dark-haired boss of S.P.R. was well and fully unconscious. How he had not woken up during Mai's fit was beyond her.

She reached her hand to jostle him awake.

Perhaps, he slept like the dead and—

Naru swatted her hand away and sat up, shaking his head to clear it of sleep. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "What?" he said severely, voice deeper from sleep.

Naru studied the teenager's face. Shaken, worried and fearful.

"It's Mai. She asked me to get you." Naru abruptly stood, breezing by the young girl and crossed the room to Mai who was silently fighting what looked like a very agonizing battle as her face was rigid with pain.

"Mai." His normally stern voice held a note of question. Her white top was etched with red, one crimson spot on her chest and another at her side. Thick lines of blood trailed down the side of her face, covered partially by her hair.

"Matsuzaki!" He yelled suddenly, dropping down to her side. Mai clutched his hand tightly in hers as she spasmed again, back stiffening so tightly that she let out one shaky squeak. Once it let up, her muscles relaxed, but she was still wheezing heavily.

Naru pushed the gawking Tamako away and gestured to the door. "Go. Get Matsuzaki-san! Quickly." He didn't watch her leave.

He pressed Mai back into the couch with a firm hand on her chest, cautiously so as not to touch the wound. Carefully, he peeled the sodden fabric of her shirt away from her stomach to examine the area for the wound. He found nothing but untouched skin under the red blotch. Mai pushed at his hands uncomfortably.

"Stop it," she mumbled irritably. Shy hands moved to block him when reached for the collar of her shirt. He knew Mai wasn't going to like this, but he readied himself for the rebuke. Ignoring her, he batted her hands away again and he pulled her top down far enough to glimpse where the wound should have been. Again nothing.

Mai's breath hitched again as her chest heaved for air. Naru studied her face for signs of injury, but there was only embarrassment. "Mai, there aren't any wounds. What's happening?"

She didn't respond. Naru turned at the footsteps behind him, satisfied that Ayako had responded so quickly. Disappointment etched his face when he saw that it was Lin and Yasuhara. The Chinese man dropped down beside Naru, looking to help.

Yasuhara came around the backside of the couch. "We saw on the monitors," he explained. Naru nodded, but watched Mai writhe again, holding back unshed tears and biting her cheeks so as not to scream.

"What's wrong?" Yasuhara asked.

"She hasn't said," Naru said distractedly, focusing somewhere between listening to Yasuhara and watching Mai.

"Mai," Lin's baritone voice prodded.

Naru's chest tightened painfully when he watched Mai trying to focus on his face. She grimaced again and tried to curl into a fetal position. Her tears were a constant stream down the side of her face.

Steeling herself, she said, "It happened in the dream." She gasped abruptly between sobs and buried her face in Naru's chest, keening between clenched teeth. Her death grip on his hand clasped tighter. She was stronger than she looked.

"Help me sit up," she said tightly as the last bout of pain subsided.

"That's probably unwise," Yasuhara supplied uncertainly. Naru tended to agree, but…

"If you don't, I'm going to throw up."

Without hesitation, Naru lifted her with a hand at her back and watched tacitly as she tried to steady her own breathing. She kept repeating a mantra, one he'd heard before, _just a dream, it's just a dream._ One she'd claimed Gene had told her to remember.

Naru's mind darted between thoughts. She was somehow bloody, _but not bleeding. _No stabs wounds or scrapes.

It didn't make sense.

Panic hit Naru as her fingernails dug into his skin. Her other hand was turning white from the force from which she was gripping the couch. She was in so much pain that she couldn't catch her breath. Naru didn't move her for fear of injuring her further. It was taking so long to get Matsuzaki that he might as well carry Mai to the miko. What if she had internal injuries? Ones he couldn't see.

Naru tried to compose his rapid-dash thoughts. She must be experiencing residual pain from an injury in her dream. Or maybe a vision? But she wasn't actually hurt. That might explain the blood if the spiritual wound hadn't broken the skin, but…he just didn't know. The blood on her face looked the most fresh.

"Easy, Naru," Lin scolded when his ward tilted her head forcefully to the side and brushed back the hair on her forehead. A small gash was at her hairline, steadily trickling blood.

A loud ensemble of footsteps beat down the hallway causing the three men to watch the door. Ayako swung around the corner with her black bag dangling at her elbow and a vicious look etched on her face. Tamako quickly followed suit carrying some of Ayako's other necessities: bandages, two plastic bottles half-full of unknown liquid and other things.

"—just can't stay out of trouble. Idiot, moron." Her fierce glare at Naru was all that was necessary to move him over so that she could check on Mai. Naru made to stand, but the hand around his nearly toppled him over. Whether she didn't know it, or didn't have the courage to meet his eyes, Mai steadily ignored him and kept his hand gripped in hers like a vice.

Naru motioned to Yasuhara and Lin to give room. Naru placed his hand over Mai's and gently pulled her hand off one finger at a time. Mai grimaced at Ayako's light touch running over her, checking for injury. When Naru's hand was free he joined the other two men who spoke so quietly Ayako couldn't hear even their harsh whispers.

"What did you get yourself into, kiddo?" Ayako said to herself. Mai tried to laugh encouragingly, to dissuade what she considered overreaction. This wasn't the first time she had been hurt and it really wasn't _that _bad.

Ayako rummaged through her bag again, and Mai heard glass rattling against each other. Ayako tore a plastic bag open with her teeth. "Technically not sanitary," she noted, but it didn't stop her. In her other hand, she cradled a small labeled, glass jar.

Poking the jar with the needle, she asked, "how do you feel about a painkiller?" Mai shook her head and Ayako glowered at the younger girl. "You're in pain, Mai. There's no need to be brave."

Mai grimaced again, choked out a laugh. "Not being brave, trust me."

Ayako rolled her eyes, pushed the needle through the label and started muttering to herself. "If you don't know what's good for you, then the doctor, _that's me_—"

"Naru," Mai squeaked. Her dark-haired, bright-eyed boss turned to her when he heard her worried tone.

Ayako, ignoring her, measured the dose with the point of the needle raised in the air to the light. "Don't give me the sedative—" she breathed.

"Don't be stupid." The other men watched them both warily.

"If you do, I can't dream," she said too quickly. Her eyes clenched as another wave of pain hit her. Ayako squeezed the needle and liquid shot out, prepared.

When Mai relaxed enough to speak again. "—have to check on Gene—"

Naru holds up a hand to halt Ayako's movements.

"Gene's in trouble?" he asked in a tone Mai was sure she'd never heard before. She didn't recognize it on him through her pain at first. It was concern.

Before they said anything more, Ayako shoved two pills in her mouth and held Mai's nose closed. "You won't take the shot. Fine—swallow this." Mai obeyed, painfully swallowing it down and it almost looked like it was going to come back up.

"Matsuzaki—"

"Relax," she tossed over her shoulder. "I was listening. It's non-drowsy."

Mai tried to speak again, but pain wracked her body again, her eyes rolled back until she fell limp against the couch.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed it.

Next chap will be up in a couple days. Monday, Tuesday most likely. Thank you to all of the people who took the time to review. I sincerely appreciate it.

* * *

Next: Chapter 4: Polarity


	4. Polarity

**Aversion Theory**

Chapter 4: Polarity

* * *

12.22.09

AN: Officially has to be extended by a chapter. In my outline, I didn't realize that what I wrote didn't actually encompass the ENTIRE scene... so yeah. Enjoy.

* * *

Mai looked around the dark expanse of her unconscious life, lit by the ethereal will o'wisps. Nothing had approached her in the dream yet, either good or bad. She wasn't sure if that was a good sign or if she was just beginning to get frustrated and at this point, anything, no matter how diabolic its intents, was a good thing.

She held a hand to her ear and yelled out, "Moshi Moshi!" She waited to hear a dial tone, or maybe an operator buzzing in her ear to relay an automated message because, even if it wasn't real, it was what her brain might expect—and besides, she'd experienced crazier things than that in her subconscious before.

Mai rubbed wearily at her eyes and started walking along the plane. She always wondered how her dream-feet never got sore from walking the miles of cloudy vastness. Gene had to be here somewhere, if hidden. Gene was nothing, if not constant, at least in presence. The sound of her clicking heels was the only other noise along the dreamscape. Annoyed, Mai wrenched her shoes off and padded along in only socks.

The terrain was quickly changing, becoming craggy and rocky, barely lit enough for Mai to see five feet ahead of her. The air around her tasted sulfurous like she was standing at the base of a volcano. Spiritual energy in turmoil. She lifted her hand towards one of the will o'wisps and cajoled it down to her. It settled in her hand feeling like a soft embrace and having the warmth of a campfire. She held it out to light the rest of her way.

The landscape at the haunting site they were investigating rarely changed unless the haunting spirit had problems in perception. Namely, they changed things to how they wanted it to be seen. So instead of wandering the Matsushita house like usual, she was wandering the rocky terrain as it was how the ghost had shaped his surroundings subconsciously. At least, that was how Mai understood it as Gene had explained it. She hadn't forgotten _all_ of his lessons.

At the base of a jagged rock, Mai spotted a shoe. Hope lit briefly. It was torn and gutted, but all the same, it was a black dress shoe. Urgency kicked in and Mai quickly climbed the ragged terrain, gripping the sharp-edged rocks with her one free hand. At the edge of her sight, she spotted a black-socked foot and Mai never thought she would love an appendage so much, much less a foot, in general. Connected to the socked foot was her guardian ghost, reclined and pensive against the volcanic rock, looking like he'd seen better days She carefully dropped to her knees, and held the will o'wisp above him as she ran a cautionary eye over him. The will o'wisp lifted from her hand and hovered over them providing a dim light.

"You're okay?" she asked shakily.

"Of course, Mai. I thought we'd covered this. I can't be hurt in the dream realm. I'm dead," he pointed out.

"But you can be banished, or _exorcised._ What if in killing your spirit you disappeared or you were forced to move on?!" Her eyes darkened in anger. "You and your stubborn brother couldn't possibly know the consequences in this realm." Gene shrugged nonchalantly, the closest to admittance Mai would ever get.

Mai sat back on her haunches, crossed her arms and scowled at him, not wanting to let him take this so lightly. Naru wouldn't forgive her if something happened to Gene in one of her visions.

Gene scratched at the corner of his cheek absently, trying to ignore her. "Well, the good news is that you have clothes on this time." The corners of his lips perked noticeably followed by her indignant squeak. She smacked him hard on the arm twice.

"You didn't see anything!" she threatened, shaking a finger in his face.

"Sure, I didn't see anything," he agreed amiably. "White-walled bathhouse, crazy robe-wearing gaijin, transparent pink cloak, naked girl. I should have prioritized better," Gene said thoughtfully, wiggling his toes in his socks.

In a huff, Mai jabbed him roughly in his shoulder. He winced and at first, Mai thought he was feigning hurt until his pain seemed prolonged.

"Ouch," he muttered.

She shoved a finger in his chest. "See?! You can be hurt, and here I was, believing all your babble about: _it doesn't actually hurt, Mai. See, Mai, no gravity. Hey Mai, lets jump off this building because we won't actually break every bone in our body._ LIAR."

Gene sighed. "Normally, this doesn't happen."

"Normal has never described one single case we have ever taken on. Anything supernatural by definition is _beyond the normal," _she grouched.

A thought seemed to strike Gene. Leaning forward, he examined her. "Why are you back here so soon? Didn't you just wake up?" When she didn't answer immediately, he threw up his hands defeated. "What's wrong with you?"

Mai tucked stray hair behind her ear, suddenly cowed. "I'd rather not wake up right now. I was in a lot of pain before…"

"And now?" he prompted.

She wiggled her fingers in his face. "Whole and just fine."

"That's not right," he told her.

Slightly affronted, Mai asked, "Me being whole and healthy is _not right_?"

"That's not what I mean, no matter if it does hold water. After all, you're often injured on cases. Have you ever considered other vocations?" Mai raised a threatening hand. He backtracked, "No, you being healthy here is fine, but both you and I were injured earlier and that isn't right. That bathhouse was most definitely unnatural and not composed of reality. It was an endless room. The more I think on it, the more plausible it becomes that we could have been injured. Did your injuries transcend into reality?"

Mai crooked her head. "The wounds you got in the dream. Did you have them when you woke up?" He simplified.

Mai fidgeted, unsure if answering honestly would incur more scolding. "A bit, but only on my head. When he hit me with the hilt of that stupid sword."

"It wasn't a sword, it was too short. It was a dagger."

"Are you kidding me? It was huge! _Eight inches isn't a knife."_

He waved her off. "That's beside the point. Where were you hurting?"

"Here." She pointed to her sternum where the knife had entered her chest. Gene unbuttoned the top of his shirt and Mai grimaced at the angry, red line where he'd been stabbed through. She touched it tentatively.

"It's healing though, right?" He nodded and she sighed in relief. "Good."

Gene gestured to hers. Mai scowled. "This isn't a game of 'I show you mine, you show me yours.' It's healed, you perv," she snarled. Gene grinned impishly and waggled his eyebrows.

"Had to try."

"Pervy ghost."

Gene sat up straighter and rested his chin in his palm, pondering. "If this spirit is able to create his own realm, the bathhouse, then it wouldn't be too farfetched that he could create real life injuries on us, but because I have no corporeal form, it must have been transferred onto you as you're my connection to the earthly realm." A sorrowful look filled his eyes. "I'm sorry for that, Mai. It must have been painful."

Sheepish, Mai waved him off. "It's okay now. You're healing, so it probably won't hurt when I wake up." She glanced over at him, eyebrows creased with worry. "I'm just glad you're okay. I don't think I could face Naru and tell him what I let happen." Her face scrunched up painfully. Gene wrapped an encouraging arm around her and pulled her close.

"Aw, don't worry about it. We're a scrappy team, if nothing else. Learning as we go. But you should get back to Noll and the others. They're probably having kittens." Mai smiled back at him, not quite understanding the saying. She nodded and glanced back at him, only to catch him glimpsing down her shirt that had caved open. She shoved him roughly back and he laughed as she stiffly stood, glaring maliciously at him.

"I really was just making sure it was healed. You know I can never trust you to your word," he said mirthfully. Mai bristled further and stalked off angrily. She knew Gene was still a teenage boy, but..ugh!

"I'm telling your brother!" she yelled as her form dimmed off the dreamscape.

Gene smiled wanly. Mai was stubborn and difficult, but she was passionate about things she cared about. Now, if only his brother could see what he had right in front of him. If only his brother knew how lucky he was to have her within the realm of possibility.

* * *

Mai's eyes fluttered open, heavy with sleep, taking in the dark living room where the fire ran low on the hearth. She ran a hand over her forehead and felt rough, woven cloth. A patch of gauze was taped in place over the gash above her eyebrow. Tentatively, she touched her chest and then her side. Both were fine if a little tender.

A soft, feminine sigh caught Naru's attention. Mai was awake and stretching like a housecat, content and far too happy for someone who had just been mewling in pain hours ago. The blanket covering her drifted onto the floor.

"I'm beginning to think I chose the wrong form of PhD with you around," a satin voice said from behind her. Mai craned her neck to see him, but soon enough he had walked within easy eyesight and sat in the chair next to her.

Mai laughed weakly. Naru tilted his head with a tired look. "That wasn't a joke."

"You'd have never met me then," she said quietly.

Naru scoffed. "With how often you end up in the hospital, it's likely we would have met sooner or later," he said disparagingly. He lifted her left leg tenderly and set her foot across his knee. "Regrettably, I know very little about trauma, but Ayako is resting after a long night of watching over you."

"I'm sorry."

"As usual."

His fingertips were warm and gentle on her knee as he prodded the swelling. "Any tenderness? Shooting pain, or dull pain?" Mai shook her head at the first question.

"It's just dull pain. I twisted my knee awkwardly when I was trying to—" Mai paused at his increasingly frustrated look. "I just turned it funny, that's all."

He pressed on the inside of her knee and she winced briefly. "Of course, it hurts when you push," she bleated. He set her leg back down and moved closer to where her head was cradled on the arm of the couch. The chair's legs scraped rigidly against the floor.

As Naru reached for the gauze on her head wound, Mai withdrew further back into the couch as if she could sink through it. It was the only wound she actually had and it was damning. If Naru saw her wound, Mai would be restricted to the base for sure. Knowing she had a wound and seeing she had a wound were two comparatively different things. The more tangible evidence he had, the harder it would be for Mai to wiggle her way out of his so-called punishment.

"I just want to see the gash," he insisted.

"It's fine," she replied in the same tone.

"Head wounds always bleed a lot." Mai looked at him curiously wondering how he would know something like that. Sure, he knew lots of world factoids, but little things like this continually shocked her. "I was a little boy once, Mai," he murmured, pulling at the edge of the tape when she let him. "Gene and I weren't always gentle with each other."

"I can't envision you as a child," Mai said honestly.

Naru's hands paused at their work. "Why not?"

"There's no way any little kid could have your permanent scowl. It wouldn't be natural," she mused softly.

Naru gave her a rare, faint smile. Mai felt her heart flutter a bit. "The bandage needs to be changed. I'll let Matsuzaki-san fix you up and then you will tell us about this dream you had, and particularly where my good-for-nothing brother was."

* * *

For half the day and well on into the afternoon, Mai was confined to the base under strict orders that she couldn't even go to the bathroom across the hallway by herself. Just like she suspected, after seeing the gash on her forehead, Naru had overreacted and she was on lockdown. It was all a bit infuriating.

"Brown-san, when you accompany Masako, will you readjust the camera in the Summer corridor. It's facing the wall." Naru slid a sour look at Tamako who had accidentally hit the camera when she had gone looking for Ayako for help with Mai. Tamako stuck out her tongue in response. Mai held in a chuckle.

"The one outside the living room?"

Mai drowned out the conversation and flipped through another page of the family album. Because of its age, the pages were thin as newspaper and the photos taken from so long ago were tiny, barely 7x12 centimeters. The first photos were black and white, then later sepia and finally the ones from about a decade ago were in full color. With Lin on the monitors and Ayako taking temperature recordings, there was nothing else for Mai to do at the base. Yasuhara wasn't even here to keep her entertained as he had gone back home for schoolwork. An hour ago, Mai had finally asked Tamako for some of the family photo albums that she had spotted when her and Ayako had been scouting appropriate rooms to sleep in. She was currently on the fifth album with the third generation of the family, Tamako's grandparents. Of the four photos on the page, Tamako's grandparents were in three and Tamako's father was in one as an infant.

Mai looked over at Tamako who was lying down on the floor beside her. "Is it weird seeing your dad as a kid?"

Tamako bopped her head back and forth to a silent beat. "Nah, everyone was a kid once." Tamako and Mai both glanced at Naru simultaneously. "Unless you're the child of demon spawn."

Mai tried to defend him, but was stuck as her boss had a rapidly diminishing list of redeeming qualities. "He's very good at his job," she said slowly.

Tamako gave Mai a coy look. "I can see he's charmed you, Taniyama-san." Mai tried to rebuke it, but then just waved her hands.

"It's nothing like that. We've just worked together for a while. Devil's spawn or not, he grows on you," she half-heartedly defended.

"Like a fungus," Tamako said, taking another swig of water. Mai laughed, and only grinned wider when Naru scowled at her. Mai's return look clearly said, 'You-wanted-me-on-lockdown, this-is-what-you-get.'

Mai flipped to the next page and stared in awe. "Wow, your grandmother was beautiful." Tamako sighed.

"I know. Unfortunately, my dad didn't inherit those looks. I definitely more closely resemble my Mom and her side of the family. Pity. That's why I love festivals though, it gives you a chance to wear kimonos like my grandmother did when normally it's not proper. I mean—" Listening to her own words, Tamako skittishly looked around for Masako, who Tamako remembered only wearing kimonos. "—uh, never mind."

Mai held in another laugh and gave a surreptitious glance around the room. Naru was alternating between monitors, hardly noticing the two on the floor. Mai wondered if he was as conscious of her as she always was of him. _No way._

Tamako suddenly perked up as if struck by lightning. "What were we just saying?"

Mai raised an eyebrow, trying to think back. "Um, festivals?"

Tamako shook her head.

"Your grandmother, your father?"

Tamako put a hand on her head, forcing herself to think back. "No, no. Come on, Taniyama-san. Something's bugging me."

Mai glanced at Naru who was directing the cameras. "Devil's spawn?" She tried hopefully.

Tamako's hands unclenched as if realizing. "Children. Everyone was a child once. And you said that when you guys talked to Nobuki's mother that she said that Nobu-kun had never been here, right?" Tamako's eyes lit up, a fierce gleam of triumph. She flipped further in the family photo album and pointed to another newborn infant. "His father's name is Noburo. I've never shortened it, as he's my uncle, but he could have been the Nobu-kun in your dream, right? You said your visions are normally of the past."

Mai's smile widened and she clapped her hands. "When Noburo-san was a child! Of course."

Tamako grinned shamefully. "Sorry. When you said child, I immediately thought of all my cousins, not the adults."

Mai patted her shoulder reassuringly. "It's okay. This has been a great help. Something tells me we're on the right track."

In front of them, Naru pointed to two different televisions. "Bring the cameras up on Hara-san. Sound up." Mai pushed from her knees, setting more weight on her right knee than her injured left. Only the head wound and her knee injury had transferred to the plane of reality, and for that she was thankful to not to have to relive the pain of being stabbed again. Neither real wounds bothered her much, but seemed to irk Naru infinitely. He took whatever chance he could get to berate his brother. '_Isn't that his job as your spirit guide to protect you? Tell him he's doing a stellar job.'_

Not that he was letting her off the hook either. He saved some of his more simple insults for her, happy to call her idiot, moron, invalid and incompetent whenever she was within hearing distance. Mai bit her tongue, knowing that he was already extremely close to taking her off the case completely, which he had threatened to do before, but had never actually followed through with.

"Eh, Naru—"

"Quiet, Mai. Hara-san is communing with a spirit." Onscreen, Masako sat on the floor with her feet tucked underneath her. Two candles lit the room with barely enough light for the camera to register the medium's face. In the background, Mai could see John on standby, waiting to step in if things turned violent.

Fear lit through Mai. "Not him, right? Not with the man—" Masako hunched forward, falling into a trance, the first stage of communicating with the spirits.

"No, a benign spirit. Female." His neutral expression shifted to cross. "Don't make me ask you to leave the room."

Mai crossed her arms. "I couldn't anyway as per _your_ orders," she said snidely. Both Lin and Naru ignored her.

"Lin, what is she saying?" Lin lifted his headset off one ear to relay the message. "She says her name is Matsushita Makoto."

Tamako's face was rigid as they looked to her for confirmation. "That's my grandmother's name." From her posture and defensive demeanor, Mai could see all the positive progress she had made over the past couple of days with Tamako visibly crumble. "Any of you could have looked that up on the registry." Oddly, even though the teenager believed in Mai's ability to dream about the past, the girl still refused to believe in spirits. Mai continued watching Masako, waiting for any sign from her ability that things were about to turn dire.

Naru turned back to the screen as well. "Is John proceeding as planned?"

Lin nodded. "He asked if she knows she is dead. She confirmed. He asked why she is lingering around the house. She responded by saying that she is watching over her relatives. That something dangerous is lurking here. She's doing her best to protect them." To Mai's right, Tamako was markedly angry, down to her clenched fists and trembling lips. Tears began to well at the corners of her eyes. With a quick turn, the young girl stormed out of the room and slammed the shoji shut, jarring the door off the tracks. Mai, feeling responsible, made to follow her when her boss' sharp tone cut through her thoughts.

"Mai." Her name had become a warning. Mai's face tightened in reproach, puckering like she'd swallowed something sour. Naru wouldn't be able to order her around forever and the moment where she stopped listening to him was rapidly approaching with his dwindling trust in her.

Complying, but not happy, Mai focused on the screen once more, unable to meet his eyes. Masako's lips moved, but the volume was too low for Mai to hear what she was saying. Then abruptly, the medium fell forward, jarring everyone into motion. Mai sprung to her feet, ready to assist the medium, knowing that if she were going to help her she would have to beat her boss to the door before he caught her. The room relaxed when Masako caught herself as she fell with both palms bracing her on the floor. John was at her side immediately offering a hand up.

The priest looked to Masako and then waved to the camera, a general 'she's okay' gesture. Lin sighed and settled in his seat again as he had half-risen when Masako had collapsed.

"Naru," Mai called, trying to get his attention. He half-ignored her, thinking that she was only going to try and bait him into an argument as penance for stopping her from going after their upset client. It only served to further rile her. "Naru," she snapped. "Before you chased our client off she noticed something that you might find to be important."

Naru turned, rapt to know more about the case. Mai hated that focus and precision, how he could be so attentive to the case, but lacked the same concern when it came to his so-called friends.

"The Nobu in my dream. It could be Nobuki's father, Noburo. It would make sense as he and his siblings used to live there."

Naru didn't need to hear any more. He paced towards the base door, and called over his shoulder, "Contact Noburo immediately, Lin."

"What about Tamako?!" Mai called as Naru disappeared down the hallway. Mai prepared to follow him when she heard Lin speak.

"Mai, let it be. Have you noticed how Tamako has been here this whole time and has gone unharmed?" Lin spun on his chair and rested his ankle against his knee, looking all too relaxed for Mai's taste.

Taking a deep breath, Mai centered herself, trying to think. "Have you considered that she's just been lucky?"

Lin shook his head. "Were you not listening? Her grandmother's spirit is watching over the family. Perhaps, that's why there have been no casualties in this case, human-wise, of course," he added, taking the parakeets into account.

"So how would any of this explain a vicious spirit? There's something we're missing."

Lin tapped his pen thoughtfully. "I think your innate ability for diving down the wrong path and yet somehow coming to the right solution will suit us in the end. You and Tamako were speaking earlier and something made you want to see those family albums, correct?"

"Curiosity," she lied.

"I think you take your skills for granted. Somehow they always are guiding you in the right direction, although it seems misguided at the time."

Lin's quiet validation bothered Mai. "Well, then I think I'll go find Tamako. My _animal instinct_ is telling me to go get her," she griped demurely with a wave of her hand. It wasn't entirely rational to be angry at Lin, but she couldn't help herself. The subject of her anger, Naru, had retreated—well, retreated was something Naru would never do, but it appealed to her sense of superiority. Naru had left her to stew in her own anger with no source to vent on. She tried to remember this as the conversation went on, so she wouldn't say or do something she would have to apologize for later.

"What do you think Naru is doing?" Lin ventured quietly.

"Sulking about how I am right," she said flatly.

"Forgive me if I'm overstepping my bounds, but I would think that if something happened to Tamako, he would be angry at himself." He paused, carefully measuring out his next words. "But if you left the base against his express orders and were to get hurt, he would be livid with you…and me," he added as an afterthought.

Mai tried to take in the words, but all she could feel was anger. Lately, that was all she felt when she dealt with Naru—and what was that supposed to mean when you claimed to be in love with said person? Her mother had told her when she was younger that to hate someone you first had to love them. Was that what was happening? She loved Naru so much that he was beginning to appall her? Down to everything he did—his methodical processes that never varied (he had multiple checklists for _unpacking equipment _for goodness' sake—talk about tedious), his pretension, the way he was careful to never show any emotion to her but disdain and condescension when before he'd occasionally been…well, not nice, but tolerable. He'd even thanked her once or twice!! And now, he was doing everything in his power to be the opposite—virtually everything she hated, but he was cranking it up a notch, being insufferable with a purpose.

Mai had never noticed it before now. In the way that he had always teased her before, the way he'd explained supernatural phenomena and terminology 'for Mai's sake,' the way that even in his cold nature, he addressed her warmly, familiarly—at first, he had done it to be insulting. He'd called her by her first name to embarrass her, but lately…lately, she'd noticed him distancing himself. Taniyama-san this, Taniyama-san that. Mai froze as the pieces of the puzzle mentally clicked in her head with resounding affirmation.

He'd come to realize something and hadn't thought to share it with Mai. Either he was pushing her away because he detested her and the way that she loved him with unflinching sincerity—or the less likely scenario…he loved her and had no idea how to deal with it.

Mai deflated visibly in front of Lin, sinking into the chair defeated. Like someone had shot an arrow through her chest and she was watching her heart struggle to survive, pinned to the floorboards in front of her.

Lin watched the young girl warily. He wasn't sure what he had said, but something had triggered this instantaneous reaction. Mai, who was a naturally flamboyant girl, righteous in her anger and unrelenting in her passion, was deflating back into a shell. Her eyebrows knit worriedly and a distressed expression flooded her face. She was wrestling with some issue that Lin couldn't even begin to comprehend. Her lips twitched in thought as if she wanted to say something, but her mouth hung open like a gutted fish, struggling for the sea.

As if remembering that Lin was there, Mai tipped her head up with a false smile over her crumbling exterior. Normally, she could put up a brave through false façade, no problem. Many times over the cases, she could easily hide her discoveries from them until she felt secure enough to share it, but now she looked utterly crushed like the sun would never shine again. Lin ran over his words again in his head, but nothing he could think of would cause such anguish in the poor girl. Mentally, he admonished himself. He'd only been trying to assuage the problem, not ignite an entirely new one. A particularly devastating one.

"Let's call Noburo-san," she said suddenly demure. "Maybe we can find out what we need before Naru gets back." She offered an encouraging smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.

Lin nodded. For now, they would do their job. Later, when they had time, he would ask Matsuzaki to address the problem known as Mai. This seemed like something far out of his league.

* * *

Luck was often a fleeting thing when it came to cases and S.P.R. They had no luck in contacting Noburo as he had been dead for two years, lung and liver cancer having claimed his life. The only good news to come of this was that they had confirmed that it had indeed been Noburo in the dream, not Nobuki, his son. Mai had matched childhood pictures of Noburo to the boy in her dream and Masako had validated it.

Ayako eyed Mai from across the room in appraisal. Lin was right. Something was completely off about the girl. She was silent when they had reentered the base and seemingly destitute of her normal buoyancy. Even when Ayako had taken her aside, the younger girl had merely shaken her off. Mai had always been the type to keep her problems to herself, a trait long ingrained to those who had been alone for so long, but this was going off the deep end. Ayako usually envied the younger girl's trait as the miko couldn't keep her own complaints and opinions to herself. She was self-entitled and used to her opinion being heard, but sometimes she had aspired for the same self-restraint Mai had. That was not the case now.

Now, she wished some of her forthright nature upon Mai. Sharing was what helped solved problems. Silence only created and compounded them. Mai's eyes looked vacant, a corruption of her naturally upbeat nature. It twisted the knife of guilt further into Ayako's stomach. John had noticed as well, trading a curious look with Ayako briefly before dropping it. He had always been a stout believer in the saying 'to each their own,' even if it was to their own detriment.

Naru seemed to easily overlook it. To him, if Mai was silent, it was only beneficial. Ayako wanted to smack his smugness over the head. If Naru didn't care, then most likely he was the problem in question, only when had Mai ever been of the belief to not confront Naru head on? Something was entirely off and given time, Ayako was going to figure it out.

Mai's blank expression exploded to life as she gasped. She picked up the book and rotated it on the coffee table in front of Ayako and John. Mai placed a shaky finger over one picture of a young, blond-haired teen next to several of the dark-haired Matsushita siblings.

"It's him. The man from the bathhouse," she announced in a quivering voice. Instead of feeling triumph, Ayako felt increasingly ill. Whatever had shattered Mai's reassured behavior had affected her self-confidence as well. Rarely did Mai ever show her fear, something else which Ayako had always admired in the teen. In situations where her peers and even older adults had cowered, Mai had always charged bravely, if not foolishly, forward.

No one asked Mai to double-check it, or to verify his identity. If she said it was him, then there was no doubt. Under the picture, written in sloppy kanji were the names of all the relatives. When Naru had dragged Tamako back to base, he had made her write out a short family tree of whomever she could remember. It extended back to her grandparents and their eight children, down further to their children and Tamako's cousins.

The only name not matching the family record was one out of place name. Naru leaned over the picture and tried to read the kanji upside down.

"Ju-no-ichi." Ayako frowned at his poor pronunciation. Usually, he was very articulate, even though they all knew that one of Naru's particular weaknesses was his poor kanji reading. Maybe something was bugging him as well.

"Juno Ichi," Ayako said flatly. "I think that's what you were trying at, genius."

Naru stood rigid, but didn't comment any further before moving back towards Lin. The two discussed something in private before parting. Lin exited the room without another word and minutes later they heard the car engine turn over as he left.

"Well," Ayako prompted him to share. Naru regarded her without concern as he added some notes to his ever-present clipboard.

"Well, nothing. We'll see what Lin returns with, and until then the rest of us should decide upon the course of action if Lin confirms that this Juno Ichi is responsible for this haunting. If he attacked Mai, and Masako still has been unable to sense his spirit, then we are still missing something: an anchoring factor that would tie him to this house. Who knows if he is even deceased?"

The group wracked their brain for a few minutes. The longer the silence lasted the more agitated they all became as their solutions seemed to dwindle the more they thought on it. While Mai sometimes felt their trust was misplaced in Naru's black-and-white solutions, she felt impossibly disillusioned the more he stayed silent. If their resolute, ghost hunting genius didn't have a resolution, than what could they possibly have?

Mai felt her nerves stretching taut at the end of her tether. If they couldn't think of a safe way to dispel the spirit, somehow convince it to move on, then they wouldn't be left with any alternatives.

The safety of the living trumped the rights of the dead. At least, in Naru's business doctrine, they did.

John looked pensive and concerned as he ran his fingertips nervously across his rosary beads over and over again. Masako was bent over, back arched with her hair covering her face, so that no one could read what she was thinking as it was so evidently displayed on her face. The air around the medium was decidedly dark, worried.

Mai never forgot how Masako had shouted at Naru not to kill the spirit in the Dollhouse case, even when they were all at risk. Masako existed in both the world of the living and the dead at all times. To her, there was no difference between spirit and person, and Mai couldn't think of one thing she respected more when it came to the medium. She was Naru's equal when it came to narcissism and self-importance, but her compassion for life was unrivalled and that struck a kindred feeling in Mai, as she valued nothing more herself.

Out of prospective options, Mai twiddled her thumbs, nervously wondering how long everyone could pretend that they all hadn't come to the same conclusion.

Finally, Ayako lost her patience, having sacrificed most of it in trying to figure out what was wrong with Mai. Her hands fidget as she tries to think of a way to bridge the gap between outright viciousness and stark reality. "I'll say what everyone is thinking. It's better to just say it than to torture ourselves over want to destroy the spirit through Jorei."

Naru sipped his lukewarm tea, enjoying the bitter liquid that had steeped too long. That small notion spoke volumes at how distracted Mai had become. Naru cocked his head at the miko, knowing that Ayako would be the one who would breach their silence.

"It seems to be the only viable option," Naru said with waning patience. He surveyed the rest of the group, who were each eying the floor conspicuously. "Unless one of you has some enlightening suggestion."

After a moment, Masako cleared her throat. "Perhaps, I should try communing with this spirit. Maybe he's after one small want. Many spirits I talk to only want to be fulfilled in some minuscule way."

Mai stared between Naru and Masako who were locked in a silent confrontation. Masako would eventually bow to Naru, but the willpower it must have taken to refute him spoke of how much it meant to Masako to go against someone she cared for.

"You want to negotiate with a spirit who was so devoid of senses that he thought Mai was an offering from the gods? A spirit who had no qualms to sink a ceremonial knife into my brother and then into Mai." Masako blanched, then shrunk like someone letting the air out of a balloon.

Mai's back went rigid. She hadn't told them all the details of her dream, and she certainly hadn't told Naru about the man stabbing her brother and herself. Her personal sentiment in regards to Naru was 'what he didn't know didn't hurt him.'

"Gene told you," Mai bit out.

"My brother saw fit to share details with me that you neglected," he replied with a bitter expression.

"Jorei seems the best, Mai," Ayako didn't hedge. Mai exhaled heavily. With Ayako against her, she was rapidly losing support if it was just Masako and her on one side. She looked in askance to John.

"Sometimes, Taniyama-san, destroying the spirit completely is the only solution. Even I understand this, although personally, it troubles me as well," John interrupted solemnly. He lifted his head, looking pained. "I wish there was another way."

Mai nodded, but felt numb, like the ground was crumbling at her feet and the faster she backpedaled, the faster everything was falling apart. How could she even begin to convince these specialists that they were wrong, that destroying the spirit wasn't the answer.

Her mouth parted softly. "Naru," she said delicately. "You're saying that if we find this spirit's anchor…that if we break the anchor, he'll be forced to leave and maybe we wouldn't have to destroy him?"

He had no reason to not respond, but... "Mai," he said exasperated, and if he was anyone else she would have expected him to throw his hands in the air, but Naru's reaction was always much simpler and subdued. Ignoring the problem was how he coped. When he sat at the desk and slid the earphones over his ears, Mai knew the discussion was officially over.

Defeated and dazed, she sank down next to Masako who took her settled a hand over her own in solidarity and understanding. Ayako looked torn between the need to nurture and her own stout beliefs.

John was uncertain, his hands twisted in his robes. The discontent on the surface was insignificant in contrast to his mental torment.

Mai studied the floor, suddenly anxious. "I'm going to bed," she said quietly. She looked up at Ayako, but changed her mind when she remembered who the miko had sided with. "Masako, would you walk with me?" Masako nodded quickly.

Both girls rose, leaving the rest of the group to anguish in their restlessness. Mai didn't want any part of it. As they were leaving, Mai heard Naru speak again which only quickened her pace. As they passed through the corridor in silence, Mai paused at one of the cameras, remembering something.

"Give me a moment, Masako. I want to double-check the cameras." Masako still didn't speak.

Mai ran her hands over the camera, checking the red light signifying that it was on and making sure the microphone was connected. An odd tension seemed to alight in her chest.

Blinking, she said, "In the meantime, Masako, can you tell me about Jourei?"

* * *

Next: Chapter 5: Willful Child

AN: Many thanks to all the reviewers and silent readers. I'll wrap this up in another two chapters I think.


	5. Willful Child

**Aversion Theory**

Chapter 5: Willful Child

* * *

12.21.09

AN: So some of you reviewers are getting your wish. I've cut this chapter in HALF and belatedly realizing that I should have done that with all my chapters. But Live/Learn, etc. Thank you to all of the kind reviewers. Some of you are terribly flattering and others incredibly informative. One reviewer politely told me that I should include easy references to things that aren't clearly explained as an author's note at the bottom and I'll take that to heart :) . I'll do my best, but anyone is free to drop me an email to let me know to add a note where something is not quite clear. Enjoy.

* * *

"—of all the stupid things—"

She shrunk as Ayako practically dragged her towards the base with a bruising grip on her elbow.

"A-ayako," Mai stumbled, fearful.

The miko gave her a stern glance. "Uh-uh, normally I sympathize with you, but you brought this on yourself."

Masako's quiet voice echoed down the hall from the base. "We thought it best to proceed on our own. It was our own choice. Our own risk to take."

The light in the base grew closer. Mai's feet began to drag in an unconscious effort to slow her progress. It felt like a funeral march.

"If the risk extended only to you," he reworded, his caustic tone was hard to miss. "We're on a haunted premises. We work as a unit. We are a team. When has the risk _ever_ extended _only to you?_ I understand how Mai would do something this unintelligent—getting in over her head, challenging anything superior to her capabilities is an everyday affair for her, but typically, Hara-san, you show restraint towards _such stupidity_." His voice continually escalated with each word, all but yelling, which for Naru was the seventh sign of the apocalypse.

Mai rounded the corner with a death grip on her sweater and a coil of fear in her heart.

* * *

_An hour ago…_

The hallways were chilly and dark at four in the morning. Mai rubbed her arms trying to soothe the goose bumps sprouting on her arm.

"Are you sure you moved the cameras correctly, Mai-san? That one seems as though it's fixed directly on us." Masako's simpering, doubtful tone sounded like the echo of thunder to Mai's paranoid mind. Mai put a finger to her lips, hushing the medium.

Stepping close to Masako, she cupped a hand around the medium's ear and said softly, "I've spent years setting up these cameras. You don't think I know the blind spots?"

Masako merely nodded and they continued down the hallway like two spies in an espionage film. When they were next to the camera, Mai mimed to Masako to duck and crawl under the wide view of the lens. When they had been heading to bed, an idea had sprung to Mai's mind. If she adjusted the right cameras, and turned the microphones in the opposite direction to pick up less sound, she could sneak down with Masako and attempt to perform Jourei on their own. If they succeeded, they would happily retreat back into their room until morning and feign surprise when the spirit _magically disappeared_. If they failed—well, at least they had tried to save the spirit, and while it wasn't good enough, that could at least say they had made an effort.

Mai would have to live with that failure, but she also had to try.

They rounded the last corner, staying close to the edge of the hallways so as not to make the floorboards creak and also to stay out of the camera's sights. They crouched under one last camera and Mai had to practically drag Masako because her nonsensical kimono didn't allow for leisurely things such as crawling and actively trying to stay hidden. The two girls ducked into the main living room where the hearth only had dying embers of a fire. No one was in sight and the two cameras in the room were angled in such a way that the back corner of the room was completely out of sight, just as Mai had planned. Mai smiled proudly to herself before remembering that she should be feeling anxious at what they were about to do.

Masako crouched onto her knees and immediately started meditating. The longer they waited, the greater the chance they had at getting caught. When Masako had told her about Jourei, Mai initially had offered to do the medium part as she was too nervous to attempt to talk the spirit into crossing over, but there were two problems Masako identified with it. The first being that Mai had never channeled while being awake and conscious of the spirit before, and to do that, Mai would have to enter a trance which she had never done on her own. The second problem was that Masako thought that if the spirit recognized her in Mai's body than he would become agitated and unmanageable. Maybe, if Mai apologized, then she could try to convince the spirit to vacate the house and cross over.

Unsure of herself, Mai had asked Masako what sorts of things to say to the spirit to calm it and then to eventually get to the point where she would ask it to cross over. Masako offered numerous tips, the first of which Mai thought were no-brainers: offer the spirit a welcome, be calm, controlled, do not pity the spirit unless it wants to be pitied, ask the spirit its wants and needs—in that order, ask the spirit to cross over and float up into the light. It was all very vague and general, leaving Mai feeling like the process was going to necessitate a lot of ad libbing on her part.

It took Masako longer than expected to enter a trance. Mai assumed that it was because she was just as nervous. Mai situated herself across from Masako whose head was hanging low as if unconscious.

Mai let out a shaky breath and began. "Juno Ichi, I ask for your presence this eveni—morning," Mai corrected herself. The spirits couldn't be so picky that they wouldn't forgive a small stutter. "Juno Ichi, I ask of you to commune with me through this body." Mai struggled to think if these were the words that Masako had taught her. They didn't sound like Mai, but it also didn't sound exactly like what Masako would say either. She hoped they worked for the time being.

The dark room was eerily silent, and then she felt the temperature around her drop slightly, a good sign and a bad sign. Good because the spirit was here, bad because Naru would notice something like that, even minuscule. She hoped that the instruments weren't being watched (which was unlikely), so she had to hurry up.

"Juno Ichi," she whispered. Masako's head shot up and a lethargic gleam unlike her usually vigilant eyes was in its place. The ghost tilted Masako's head and fixed Mai with a lazy grin.

"Ah, my offering who escaped me." He eyed her with that same empty look, which on Masako's face made her toes curl in fear.

"Yes, that was m-me. I apologize for not realizing the significance of the, uh, event. I must have messed up something you wanted dearly." Masako had coached Mai into being extremely humble, but all Mai wanted to do now was run. Her gut twisted fiercely with trepidation, but she would never leave her friend here in such a state.

The spirit, Juno Ichi, reached out a hand to Mai and every muscle in her body tensed as she forced herself not to run. The medium's cold hand controlled by the spirit trailed from Mai's temple down her cheek to her neck and collar bone before it settled in on the top of her breast. Mai's breath hitched painfully as she felt her heart trip over itself.

He wasn't feeling her up which would have been bad enough. But no, he was simply feeling her heart beating against her rib cage which creeped Mai out all the more. The hair stood up on her arms, definitely not a good sign.

He closed Masako's eyes as he seemed to revel in the rhythm of her heartbeat and leaned over until Masako's hair fluttered lightly on her skin and then he settled his head solidly against her chest. The medium seemed to have no control over the spirit which was another bad sign.

"Juno Ichi, i-is there something you want from this world?" He lifted his head and stared up closely at Mai, seeming to study her like she was a foreign creature. The spirit breathed heavily onto Mai's face and she muffled a whimper. Her lips flattened into thin lines as she tried her best not to scream as he shifted closer. Three inches. Two inches. One inch.

He paused as he thought on her question.

"Anything you n-need?" Mai supplied. "How can I help to satisfy your spirit so that you can move on?"

Juno Ichi smiled for the first time and it was hideous stretch of skin on the prim medium's lips. "A family," he offered breathily. "I've always wanted a family." He raised his pointer finger up and ran it down her shoulder, then back up to cup around her neck. Mai stopped breathing entirely.

As his hand settled at the base of her neck, he said, "I want a family. That means I want you all to join me." He looked thoughtful, though calmer. "I guess that means you'll have to die. Will you die for me, Mai-san?" Mai's eyes were as large as saucers. She tried to backpedal, but the wild-eyed, possessed medium was on her too quickly. The hand at her neck tightened abruptly, cutting off her air supply.

"Help!" Mai yelled, choking.

Even in her panic, it didn't take much effort to detangle Masako's hands from her neck. Mai was still in school, still forced to work out in physical education whereas Masako was demure and detested physical labor. Their difference in strength was obvious as Mai wrestled with the spirit and tried not to hurt Masako. One hand got loose and Mai's cheek felt on fire when Masako's nails dragged across it.

Footsteps were racing down the halls, a familiar and comforting feeling spread through Mai while she fought. Juno Ichi looked up and Mai took the time to quietly apologize before she used a well-placed foot to drive Masako off of her.

Ayako and Lin appeared in the doorway. Mai flattened herself against the wall, frightened and fearful.

Mai yelled, "Careful, she's possessed. Don't hurt her!"

Masako moved faster than Mai had ever seen her, a feat in the restricting kimono. She raced to the hearth and picked up a poker and started swinging the metal piece around. Lin dodged backwards and Ayako retreated only to be cornered like a collie shepherding sheep. Masako swung once, missing Ayako but sending one of Naru's expensive cameras undoubtedly to a technological graveyard with a gritty crash.

She swung at Ayako again, who screeched and hit the floor. The poker stuck in the wood above her head and Ayako took the chance to scramble underneath the manic medium. With a stark wrench, the spirit freed the poker from the wall and raised it above his head, preparing to stab the poker down on Ayako when Mai screamed.

A sharp whistle pierced the air and Mai saw three white ghost-like figures fly _through_ Masako—Lin's shiki. The poker clattered to the floor with Masako's hands still raised. Shaking, the medium collapsed with a mournful cry and curled into a ball, gagging. Frozen, Mai still couldn't move from the spot and shook with regret at what had almost happened. Ayako lay stretched out on the floor, eyes so very white with fear and not quite ready to move yet. She was breathing heavily in short pants while watching Masako writhe.

Lin was the first to gather himself and went to check on Masako. Gently, he tried to turn her over, but she resisted, trembling harder and unable to speak. By the doorframe, Mai saw Naru, Tamako and John, all clothed in sleepwear. Startled by what she saw in front her, Tamako collapsed to the floor in disbelief. Naru strode into the room, looking as vibrant as ever, even in pajamas. He settled by Masako and started whispering things to her and placed a hand on her back, rubbing soothingly.

Tears leaked from the side of Mai's face, not in jealousy, but in remorse for what she had done. She couldn't bring herself to feel self-pity, but she was desperate to take back what had almost happened to Masako...what had almost happened to Ayako. Her only family. Mai crawled over to the fallen miko and joined John in checking to make sure she was okay. Mai heard noise behind her and watched as Naru lifted Masako in his arms. She laid limply, head lolling lifelessly against his chest. Lin followed with a short nod to John and a disdainful look at Mai.

Mai cringed, feeling all the more terrible about everything.

"Ayako, are you okay?" she asked, even though she felt like it was a dumb question. The younger girl started to cry, which loosened a knot in Ayako's chest. Worrying about someone else allowed her to not fret over herself. "I'm sorry. We just wanted to help. We never ever meant for anyone to get hurt. I'm so sorry." Mai repeated this several times.

Ayako nodded, but dropped her head into one hand, taking it all in. She had nearly been impaled by a poker. Clearly, the ghost held no preference of which person he tried to kill. She shuddered again at the thought of joining him as a permanent guest and sat back harshly against the shoji with a dull thump.

Down the hallway, Mai heard Naru's unmistakable anger echo to them. "John, Matsuzaki-san, when you are ready, bring Taniyama back to the base."

Mai froze, meeting John's eyes and then Ayako's. Neither held remorse and Mai couldn't blame them.

* * *

Naru continued to berate and admonish Masako until Mai was dragged forcefully into the room. Normally, Ayako tended to be gentle with the girl, but after nearly being impaled because of the stunt the younger girl pulled, Ayako lacked the usual sympathy.

Mai tried to fold further into herself, making herself as small a target as possible. Embarrassment, sympathy and fear warred with the instinctive urge to defend herself.

"Matsuzaki-san, I'm glad you are unharmed. Would you and John escort Hara-san back to her bedroom and accompany her until morning?" Naru sounded calm, but there was an underlying feel of malice lining his tone.

Ayako nodded, though slowly. She wanted to be around to give Mai a piece of her mind as well, but judging from the way the small girl was already cowering and the way that Naru's voice held a cold edge, she doubted her additional scolding would be necessary.

John offered Masako a hand up which she gratefully took. Leaning heavily on him, they escorted the girl from the room and trudged down the hall.

The silence was deafening. Mai could hear her own unsteady heartbeat and her shaky breath as she exhaled. Naru wouldn't facing her. He stood, hunched over the desk opposite her, dark hair falling in his face and braced himself with both arms. Mai couldn't' envision when he would start in on her, but the wait always made her much more anxious than the actual fight.

"Lin, would you mind checking the house with your shiki? Run a patrol for me to see if his spirit is still lingering."

Lin nodded and left with a word or glance at either person. If Mai thought she couldn't feel much worse, she was wrong. Her heart felt like it was falling through her feet.

Mai sank against the wall, drawing her knees protectively to her chest and waited.

Minutes ticked by. Still, neither said anything. One of the monitors was filled with static. Probably the one that Masako had accidentally destroyed.

More minutes flew by, and still Naru tortured her until she couldn't take it anymore.

"Coward," she accused. "Nothing has ever held you back before. What's stopping you now?" Being the aggressor kept Mai's real feelings locked away. Here, she could let herself be swallowed by the anger, something she'd become accustomed to in dealing with Naru. "Coward," she repeated. "At least, Masako and I had the courage to try," she whispered.

The muscles in Naru's back tightened at the accusation. "_Masako_ wouldn't have done that without your prodding," he began venomously. "_Masako_ doesn't have outrageous ideas nor the initiative to follow through. _Masako_ is not a willful child, lashing out for attention and recognition of her abilities." He turned to face her, eyes ablaze with a fury Mai hadn't seen since their first case when he hadn't fully solved everything and people had gotten hurt. "She knows her limitations unlike you who seek to push every boundary when you are clearly in over your head and drowning faster than you can tread. You played off of her sympathy for spirits because you are too ignorant to realize that you are putting her life at risk. You _used_ her."

He paused, fury building further. Turning to face her, his full-fledged anger hit her like a semi speeding down the highway. "Feel free to sacrifice yourself willingly to a ghost, Mai, but don't drag others into your idiocy because you are too scared to handle a problem on your own." Naru's voice had become quieter, but no less unforgiving.

Mai choked on her words unable to deny anything he'd said. Angry tears burned at her eyes, and she sniffled as the tears began to fall. Wetness stained her cheeks.

"I'm sor—"

"Save it for someone who cares for empty words." His unrepentant eyes never left hers and Mai felt trapped like she was sinking into a black hole. Inescapable, unavoidable. "I don't believe in apologies. I believe in the right course of action, and right now, that means you off the case."

Mai gasped through her tears. "Naru, no—"

"Pack your things. You leave first thing in the morning." He turned from her then, finished with the conversation.

Wracked by tears, Mai tried to smooth them away to somehow stop them from falling, but she just cried all the harder. On unsteady feet, she stumbled from the room, falling once into the shoji before she hurried to escape. She didn't make it far before the tears and sorrow overwhelmed her. Her brain tried to rationalize for her: no one was hurt (badly), and they were still going through with the same plans. This only served to ignite her grief further.

She stumbled around a corner and then practically fell into the first room she found open. She collapsed onto the floor, heaving and trying to focus her breathing to no avail. Tightness coiled in her chest like someone had drove a screwdriver through it and twisted violently. She hunched over until her forehead rested against the cool floor, keening unevenly.

Alone, cold, and sick with grief, Mai allowed the sobbing to take over until she finally passed into oblivion.

* * *

Lin had long ago turned the radio on as they bumped along the windy side roads back towards the nearest city. Anything was better than the silence that hovered around Mai like a delicate eggshell. She hadn't even said a word when he offered her the front seat while she calmly climbed in the back and buckled herself in.

Lin was okay with the absence of sound. He wasn't a man of many words, not that he didn't have anything to say floating around in his mind. He saved his words when it was for the greater cause, but now he couldn't think of one single thing to broach such a fragile topic. Naru had practically rendered the girl comatose, a feat Lin had once thought impossible when it came to the…loquacious Mai.

He checked back in his rearview mirror, not bothering to pretend to be looking at the cars behind him. Mai's reflection showed a lifeless form, sallow and dejected like another piece of unused equipment in the back of their van.

Perhaps, Lin should have stressed the importance of tact on his young ward when he had been training him at a younger age. Even if he was right in his anger and Mai _had_ put them all at risk to appease her feelings of what she thought was the right course of action without consulting the group—not that Naru hadn't ever done that, but then again, Naru was usually right.

He turned the vehicle right as he approached the nearest motel on the edge of the city. It wasn't rundown or decrepit, but it was a cheap business hotel probably with western-style adornments, which appealed to Lin's financial sensibility, especially with how the company had taken a hit lately because Naru refused to take on fraudulent cases. The gravel crunched against the tires as the van rolled through the parking lot. Lin parked near the front office and took the keys out of the ignition as a second thought. Mai may have seemed incapacitated at the moment, but Lin wouldn't put it past the girl to steal the car and head back to the mansion to give Naru a piece of her mind as an act of defiance.

Looking back at the girl, Lin could tell he wouldn't have to worry. The shell of Taniyama Mai held no inkling of defiance, too wrapped up in her own guilt to function past the voluntary action of breathing. Rogue tears slid down her cheeks and Lin felt the distinct urge to get away. He really wished that Naru had let Ayako take the girl as she had offered first, but Lin was starting to think that this was some form of secondary punishment on Mai. First, she was taken off the case. Second, she wouldn't have a support system to fall back on. Lin wasn't a heartless brick in the wall, but he also wasn't the bleeding heart Taniyama would have preferred.

_Ayako raised her hand. "I'll take her."_

"_No, Lin will _baby-sit _Taniyama. You will be setting up wards for the exorcism. We'll need a barrier and defensive spells as well," Naru deadpanned, switching the van keys from Ayako's hand to Lin's._

The coldness in his ward's voice resonated with Lin. It was more than just Taniyama screwing up. She did that all the time; it wasn't a new occurrence. What had Lin missed that was causing Naru to be irate—so much that he had removed Taniyama from the case when he had never done it before? Maybe the difference was that Mai had never actually disobeyed him in the sense that she tried something risky enough to put Masako in harm's way. Mai had yelled at him before. She'd disagreed with his decisions on numerous occasions, citing his heartless nature as short-sightedness. But never had she thrown his superiority in his face and made a decision on her own to vanquish a spirit without thought for consequences. To Lin, it just didn't sound like it was enough to cause such ire.

Lin escaped the confines of the van without offering Mai a chance to join him while he procured the room. At the moment, Mai needed space—or maybe he needed space. Idly, he wondered as the rain fell down on him, what Madoka would do if she was here in his place. She would coddle and cajole Mai with a tender voice while still letting her know that she had done something wrong. That kind of complex communication evaded Lin. He was straightforward, much like Naru. Double-edged comments, or using a tone of voice to soften the blow were things he never considered when someone screwed up. They really needed a Madoka in their group, someone to moderate all of their opinionated views, especially right about now.

* * *

The hotel room was a multitude of deep rouges covered with tasteless, cheap wallpaper that was flaking at the corners and tacky, outdated armchairs that were stiff and uncomfortable. There were two beds. Lin took the one closer to the door that turned out to be a squeaky mattress as he sat down on it. Mai had ghosted into the room almost like a spirit herself. She carried her rucksack over her shoulder and Lin took it in solemnly when she sagged noticeably under its weight. Taniyama was proving to be a fragile girl in so many ways. It was such a wretched turn of fate that she had lost both her parents so young, which hadn't given the girl time to really ever be a child. Too soon she'd been forced to work and make money for a living. Lin could imagine such hardship and how it had shaped the girl before him, and he respected what a decent person she had turned out to be under such harsh circumstances.

Mai rolled over onto her mattress, pulled her legs to her chest and faced the wall with a grim atmosphere blooming around her. Hours passed before Lin was broken away from his vigil on Taniyama by the chirping of a cell phone. The caller ID listed it as Takigawa, their resident, Irregular, Monk. Taniyama still hadn't moved, but Lin knew she hadn't slept a wink. She wasn't a good enough actress for that yet.

Lin answered with a curt greeting which Takigawa didn't return.

He cut to the chase, asking_, "How is she?"_

Lin paused, trying to tactfully think of how to respond without talking like the girl wasn't there. It was something Madoka had tried to teach him. "Quiet. Been better." He could have been talking about the hotel or the weather, and that façade should make Madoka happy enough.

Takigawa sighed. _"She's in the same room, huh? I can be there in six hours if you need me to be."_

"That is unnecessary," Lin replied.

"_Can I speak to her?" _

"You can try. I believe it will be fruitless. Hold a moment." Lin pushed off the bed and stood over Mai, who still hadn't moved.

"It's Bou-san. He wishes to speak with you."

No response.

"I don't think—"

"_Just put the phone to her ear,_" Takigawa said angrily. Lin, taken aback, did so grudgingly. He settled his cell phone with the receiver over the shell of her ear.

"_Jou-chan, its Bou. How are you doing?"_ The sound reverberated in Mai's ear like a dull drone. After a moment, Mai seemingly returned to life, cradled the phone with her two hands.

"_Jou-chan? I know you can hear me—"_ Mai hit the call end button and gently set the phone behind her without a word. Lin raised an eyebrow in response, but let it go.

Takigawa didn't call back. Lin assumed this was about the time that Takigawa would call Naru and scold him as best and fast as he could before the boss hung up on him as well.

Eventually, as night closed in on them, Mai rose achingly slow, probably stiff from lack of movement all day. She wobbled to her feet, angling for the bathroom.

Lin looked up from his book. One he had started that day and nearly finished, a tome on corporeal transference that Naru had recommended. Having given her more than enough space for the entirety of the day, Lin hoped that Mai would be more impressionable now.

She raised a hand to the wall to keep her balance while she walked to the door separating the room from the bathroom.

"Taniyama-san, let me know when you are hungry. I can go pick up—"

The door slid shut behind her somberly and the click of a lock followed shortly after. The water pipes in the walls rattled as Mai turned the tap on of the bathroom. Maybe a long bath would do her some good and soothe her raw nerves.

He flipped back to his book and tried to wrap his mind around the idea of astral projection and pushing someone elses's spirit out of a living body for the projector to inhabit. He briefly glanced at the bathroom, knowing full well that Taniyama was a capable astral walker, but would she ever try to realize that talent and be able to possess another live person? It was far too interesting a question to pass up, but Lin supposed that it would be more appropriate to ask Madoka who was further removed from the situation than Naru who would shoot the idea down before it ever left the ground. Mai could be a powerful psychic, indeed, if she was able to develop her latent abilities, rather than have them undiluted and raw as they were now, but Lin tried to trust Naru. What the teen lacked in age, he made up for in experience and nearly perfect theory application. He hadn't obtained a PhD with no warrant.

Lin glanced at the clock and noticed that several minutes had gone by and the water was still running. And when he focused, he could hear the distinctive sound of water splashing against the floor. Mai had turned on the tap, but not the shower, as the shower made a recognizably pressurized sound when it turned on. There was always the possibility that Mai had fallen asleep—she had an worrying tendency for that.

Annoyed, Lin walked over the door and paused when at his feet the carpet made a squelching noise. He surveyed the floor and noticed the large, dark half-circle at his feet from water running under the bathroom door.

"Mai!" Lin rapped sharply on the door and with the thunder of running water, he couldn't hear anything going on.

He tried the doorknob. Locked, of course.

He tried her name again, to jar her awake and guilt her into opening the door, but to no avail.

He briefly considered putting his shoulder or foot in the door which brought back some not-so-fond memories. In his younger days, which weren't so terribly far in the past, he had tried to force open some thick doors reminiscent of this one with some unfortunate consequences. Doors like this were not meant to be kicked down. Lin had dislocated his shoulder the first time he'd tried to ram a door open and the second time, he'd nearly broken his ankle trying to play hero. He was wiser now.

Summoning his shiki with a sharp whistle, he beckoned them through the door, which they promptly snapped apart at the hinges. Catching a piece of the door frame, he set it gently against the wall before he pushed aside the door in his hurry. Mai lay on the floor, half-propped up between the sink and bathtub. One side of her hair was soaked with water up to her cheek as she laid her head against the overflowing tub. Lin's feet splashed across the floor as he stepped into the calf-high water of the tub and soaking his pant leg while he reached to shut off the flow of water.

Crouching down next to Mai, he lifted her wrist and counted her pulses over a minute. She had a slow, but healthy heartbeat. He knew she was probably fine, but…

He snapped his cellular phone open and pushed the second speed dial on his phone. It rang once before it was answered and a tepid voice came over the line with his name, instead of a greeting.

"Lin."

"Naru, we have a problem."

* * *

Next: Chapter 6: Things to Apologize For - Later

* * *

AN: Just in case, some things you may not know:

Shiki: Lin's familiars, spiritual creatures that Lin has to exude a lot of control over.

Jou-chan: Mai's nickname from Bou. Simply means something close to 'young lady.'

Jourei: Communing with the spirits to help them cross over, the gentle way. Explained in Volume 2 of GH.

Jorei: Destroying the spirit. It's all explained in Vol. 2 of Ghost Hunt.

I hope that covers it. PM me if you have questions or comments alike.


	6. Things to Apologize For Later

**Aversion Theory**

Chapter 6: Things to Apologize For - Later

* * *

12.23.09

* * *

Mai woke with the taste of sulfur in her mouth. The bitterness felt similar to black tar as she tried to swallow it down like bad cough medicine. A wave of nausea seized her, but quickly passed while she tried to regain her senses in the dream world. She stood and felt the idea of gravity settle in over her, locking her to the ground like a magnetic pull. Her feet vibrated while she wiggled her toes, accustoming herself to the familiar sensations of her unconscious life. Will o'wisps danced playfully in the air, lighting a path to a familiar figure in the distance.

Gene. His wan smile didn't register the same effect on her like usual.

Today, she had a purpose and a task to accomplish.

"You shouldn't be here. Naru will be angry," Gene said evenly.

"Only if you tell him," she bit out.

Gene had the grace to look abashed. "Someday Mai, you'll see that you look out for others who don't watch over themselves. You have to admit, you have a certain recklessness and no regard for what happens to you when things turn dangerous."

Mai waved him off. "Can you guide me back to the house?"

"Probably not the wisest choice," he hedged.

The air around Mai shifted to darker hue with her change in mood. Mai's moods were beginning to affect the spiritual realm. _Interesting,_ he noted.

"You can be a terrible guardian ghost," she said fervently. "I'm only going to help, I promise. Earlier today, I dreamt about the anchor Naru was talking about. I know where it is. I only want to fix the problem."

He crossed his arms and quirked his head appraisingly. "Then why don't you just tell Naru? He'll handle it."

"How many people do you know that can astral walk, and project in both the physical realm and the spiritual realm simultaneously?"

Gene lowered his eyebrows. "What has that got to do with anything?"

"It's what is going to solve the case," she affirmed.

His resolve hadn't weakened. "Will it be dangerous?"

Exasperated, she squinted at him. "Would you like me to lie to you, or will you just trust me?"

Gene exhaled in a long-suffering sigh, arms raised in frustration. "Of course, it's something stupid," he went on. "What case wouldn't be complete without Mai risking life and limb?" Mai blanched at his tone. He sounded terrifyingly just like Naru who she didn't particularly want to be reminded of at the moment.

Mai shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "Can you take me back to the house, or am I going to have to start jumping planes to find this place?" she grouched.

He contemplated her running wild around the spiritual plane and the _things_ she potentially might run across for a minute. And that was a disturbing thought...

Mai worried that he might not help her. If he was anything like his brother…

Gene held out a hand with a leaden expression. "Don't make me regret this."

Mai smiled, clasping her hand in his. "I won't." The length of his jacket brushed across her wrist, making it itch. She flashed a sardonic smile as the ground beneath her feet disappeared with a familiar shock. Her stomach headed far south before she recalled Gene's mantra. _Nothing is physically real in the spiritual realm. Forget physical boundaries._ It didn't quite dissolve the feeling, but it tempered her queasiness.

"Why are you always dressed like Naru? Is it a fashion trend over in Europe to wear all black?" Mai balanced herself with a hand on his chest, though she doubted it was entirely accidental.

Gene laughed while he shook his head resignedly. "Since our first meeting, I've been dressed like this because it has been your expectation of me. You thought I was Naru, so I continually appear to be as Naru would." Although he didn't say it, Mai could tell this fact had been bothering him for a long time as he idly spoke about it.

She glanced at the flashing scenery shifting around them as he traveled them across the spiritual plane. "Maybe next time you should wear a blue shirt, or something reminiscent of kelp green. I like green," Mai said carefully, focusing on the button of his shirt.

Gene smirked, looking around them. "Green isn't my color."

Mai wrinkled her nose, offended. "Maybe orange and pink trousers," she groused. "And a Hawaiian print top…"

* * *

Ayako pasted the last ward up on the doorframe, head high and beamed at her work. It was a damn fine barrier, if she did say so herself. Beads of sweat were dripping down her back and she was thankful for the multiple layers her miko outfit provided as cover, although it was probably the source of the problem as well.

Masako folded up the last of the ritual mats and carefully tucked away the candles. They had given the miko the first shot at exorcism, but as per usual, it failed without any beneficial results.

When the medium had casually asked the miko what had happened, she had growled at them fiercely.

"_Do you see any old trees around here? This swamp of a garden hasn't been tended to in ages and there certainly isn't a holy enough shrine around here to call the tree spirits from." _ _She'd kicked a stool over in her temper, denting one of the shojis on her way out of the room._

Masako stood readily at John's side and handed him his bible with care. He took it with a reassuring nod and she withdrew, knowing that it was better to maintain a safe distance during such occasions.

They were all in the living room again as Naru had pinned it for the center of the paranormal activity when they had originally thought had bypassed it. The lower temperature recordings in the room had been attributed to the chimney above the hearth being an open air vent, but only hours before, Tamako had told them that the chimney had been walled up years ago to keep animals out since no one was currently inhabiting the house. It made sense. As soon as they had lit the hearth, the house had acquired a funny smell which had actually been the smoke and fire backdrafting into the house as it had nowhere else to escape to but through shoddy patchwork above. It was a wonder no one had passed out on the fumes, though it had probably contributed to how Mai and Naru had fallen asleep so early that night.

Naru stood in the far corner close to Ayako, and Masako had taken up the other corner, closer to the door should she need to escape as she only had a protective charm written up recently by the miko. Masako tolerated Matsuzaki on the best of occasions, but she wouldn't trust her life to the self-styled miko, hence her proximity to a quick exit.

The kekkai barrier vibrated against Masako's senses which only minutely reinforced her shaky confidence in the miko. Whatever power Ayako lacked in exorcism, she made up for in shields; it probably had something to do with her defensive personality manifesting in her specialty of paranormal protection.

John began his normal prayer, English words that Masako could barely understand as she had only picked up some spare English here and there due to her many missed classes over the years. The prayer continued and Masako felt the restlessness of a spirit caught in purgatory beginning to build like a knot in her stomach.

Naru noticed her apprehension. "Hara-san."

Through anxiety-filled eyes, she nodded. "The spirit knows we're here."

John finished the prayer, and began immediately with another one. The air felt heavy to Masako like her lungs were filling with water as it was harder to breathe. Holy water sprinkled the floor while John made a sign of the cross with fluid hand movements.

The phone at Naru's hip began to buzz. Electronic equipment seemed to malfunction in the presence of spirits, but as it had yet to appear, he was able to answer it. He held it to his ear.

"Lin," he said curtly.

"_Naru, we have a problem."_

Masako's head snapped up. "Stop—John, stop the prayer. Mai's here," she hailed urgently.

"_She's in a trance. Headed your way, I'd assume," Lin informed, on the phone._

Naru's frown deepened and he growled out, "She's already here." He clicked the phone shut and replaced it at his hip.

"John, if you would pause for a moment."

* * *

A thin layer of dusky, blue light covered the walls of the house like an azure sunset casing the house.

Mai gaped in wonder at the simple beauty of it. "What is it?" Footsteps echoed hers as she approached it.

"Stunning, isn't it?" Mai looked to Gene, who stared at the light with a fond reverence. "It's your miko's kekkai." He held his hand up to the barrier, and felt warmth light his hand in a mutually affectionate touch. The barrier glowed brighter when he stroked it.

Mai hadn't known that the barrier appeared like this in the spiritual realm. It stole her breath and inspired more than a little feeling of worship in its holy perfection. The miko was _good._

Worry knit Mai's brow. "Is it too late? Can I cross the barrier?"

Gene was silent, contemplating. He pinched his chin between his forefinger and thumb. "I have my doubts that the miko is chaste, so I would think there is a good chance of you crossing this holy barrier." Embarrassed and with a slight flush on his face, he turned to Mai. "This is going to seem out of place, but are you, um…how do I put this into Japanese without being offensive—pure?"

Mai stuttered and lost her speech twice when she tried to speak. She let out a startled breath. "Hah—well, I don't see—I mean, ye—how can that possibly—_that is none of your business, Eugene Davis,_" she ground out with finality, fists rigidly set on her hips.

He held up his hands defensively. "I swear, Mai, I wouldn't ask you if I didn't think it was important," he denied quickly. "Even now, I think I could cross the barrier, but I'm dead and seeing as they are exorcising a ghost in there, I really don't want to be sent to my own afterlife prematurely, you see?"

"_This is your afterlife,"_ she emphasized each word poignantly.

He shrugged. "Semantics."

"Well, that's fine. You brought me to the house and this is good enough. I can handle the rest from here on out." Still slightly perturbed at him, she griped, "Thanks for getting me here."

"Mai, I really don't know if you can cross the barrier unharmed. Let alone, if you do cross the barrier and they are exorcising the ghost, I'm not sure what could happen to you. Your body acts like a physical anchor to the real world, but with the kekkai between you and your body, I can't be sure if you'll return to your body…or if it will send your spirit over to this side…permanently. This crazy idea seems to get less rational the more I think on it."

Realizing this was her cue to leave before he got any smart ideas, Mai walked over to him and even though she was still heated, balanced on her tiptoes and laid a quick kiss on his cheek.

"In case…" she said hazily.

He watched her with a hand on his cheek. "In case…? Mai—" He reached a hand out to grab her. Mai smiled coquettishly and wrinkled her nose at him while she stepped backward into the barrier and disappeared into the house.

A peculiar feeling slid over her skin like she was wading through a school of cold, slimy fish as if it was touching every part of her skin. Having never experienced it before, Mai guessed that it was the kekkai. Dim, ethereal lighting met her vision in the wooden hallways.

Walking through walls was always strange to Mai because prior to each time she performed the feat, she would have to envision how she could do it in her mind's eye—or it wouldn't work, and she would smash her nose against the non-corporeal wall.

Rather than try to find her way through the house by following the corridors, which would entail her getting horribly lost, she decided to walk through the walls. She tried it this time with better success and continually walked through wall after wall with a determined gait until she felt pressure beginning to build in her ears and knew she was heading in the right direction. She emerged into the hallway outside the living room and saw the vague outline of her coworkers. Ayako, Naru and Masako were at the perimeter of the room, and John was at the center of the mess, chanting away.

Crouched beside the door sat a terrified Tamako, hiding and unable to move as the evil atmosphere became palpable. Mai slid a supportive hand on the young girl's shoulder and whispered a word of encouragement before she strode into the room.

The room was giving off an unhealthy purple hue like a dark bruise emanating from the center of the room and it sickened Mai to be near it. She took another step closer and pain like fire burnt in her chest, an aching reminder that she'd been stabbed not too long ago.

Mai's eyes squinted painfully while she bolstered her resolve with a dogged steadfastness. Mai saw Masako mouth her name and she smiled contentedly at the medium's perceptiveness. Masako's energy seemed to be in disorder though. Her aura pulsed twice before fading again and then burst into brief, dull life. Her aura was damaged, altered somehow and Mai surmised that it must have been spiritual damage incurred by Lin's shiki when they had forcefully driven Juno Ichi out of her body. Mai felt a twinge of guilt, but filed it away in her rapidly expanding file of 'things-to-apologize-for-_later_.'

The energy around John faded as he halted his prayer. Masako must have told them to pause after she had sensed Mai, and she was grateful for that.

Sitting on the hearth, the hunched form of Juno Ichi began to materialize at the center of the roiling, purple mass. The more substantial his form became, the further the poison of the purple mass expanded. Her heart plummeted into her feet and her lungs began to squeeze violently. Juno Ichi was poisonous himself.

He lifted his head mechanically and slow. With precision, he eyed her with vacant, dead eyes. "Here to help me cross over, jou-chan?" His voice was deep and resonating on this plane, echoing in her skull with dull mockery.

Mai shook her head with a wry smile, confidently taking another step closer to him. She tried to sound brave, but faltered somewhere between scared-child and I'm-all-alone. "Not this time, I've dreamt of what you're hiding. So if you don't mind, kindly move aside…"

He swept a hand out in wide, gregarious motion. "Come then."His hand passed through the rubble of the hearth and Mai swallowed hard, realizing something he probably hadn't wanted her to notice. On this plane, where reality was reflected and which Juno Ichi couldn't deal with, he was insubstantial. He was merely pretending to exist on this plane in an effort to stop her. That didn't make the idea of facing him any less frightening.

Mai continued her painful walk forward, the purple wall slowing her every step like she was walking through molasses. A copper taste coated her tongue. The scent of blood filled her nose, sharp and tangy. Her pace didn't falter, continually driving forward. _Pain is just an illusion here. Pain is of the physical body. Here, it couldn't stop her. Here, she was invincible._

_Overreaching, _that satin and sardonic voice told her. It's what Naru would have said if he could hear her thoughts.

A quirky grin lilted the corner of her lips when he tried to discomfort her with a malicious smirk. His eyebrows were heavy and hung low on his deep-set eyes as he merely watched her.

"I don't have the same spiritual limitations, Juno Ichi-san," she informed him. In his anger, a pulse of violet struck Mai and she staggered under the pain of her knee, reliving the same injury again. "Pain is an illusion," she repeated aloud tightly. It felt like she was fighting gravity as she walked unsteadily forward. Almost there. She was within a foot of Juno Ichi, and her proximity to the spirit strengthened the fear and her confidence wavered. _Almost there._

Masako's voice reverberated in Mai's head. "_Mai_," the medium's voice echoed, "_what are you doing?_"

Unsure of how else to communicate, she spoke aloud. "Helping this time." Juno Ichi cackled, a sound that made her tremble and grimace. She'd reached the hearth, and stood face to face with Juno Ichi, whose face had begun to sag like melted candle wax. Even malevolent spirits paid the price for their own evils now and again.

"_You idiot, get out of here,"_ Naru's baritone voice ordered. Mai actually smiled, and so close to such a perverse creature, it wasn't even hard.

"Shut up, idiot scientist, and let me do my job."

The spirit wasn't going to make this easy as he hadn't budged an inch. She hesitated before she reached through the center of Juno Ichi's chest and out the back, hands coming out the other side of him to feel the stone-built hearth. She pushed forward and her body slid through his spirit's insubstantial form while she reached higher up the hearth's narrow chimney. Her hands felt something hot, and instinctively wrapped around the obtuse object. Being in contact with Juno Ichi's spirit sent waves of anguished feelings through Mai's soul. She cried out at the desolation and despair he felt so intensely that she felt her hands begin to slide off of the object, the anchoring point in his world.

Mai detested dry-heaving, but between the emotions wracking her heart and the pain wracking her body from touching the object in the chimney, she was hard-pressed to decide which was more agonizing. She hung from the object, arms stretched taut and weakening, but she had to fix things. She pulled harder at the object and laid all her weight against it. She heard the stone crack and Juno Ichi howl in her ear and suddenly she was thrown back by an explosion incinerating her.

The heartrending howl of Juno Ichi's despair was her last coherent memory.

* * *

The atmosphere in the room turned hazy while Tamako wrestled with the need to run. Thunder outside the house echoed through the thin hallways sending a sharp needle of fear up her spine.

Just as suddenly, Tamako felt a warm presence, an unfaltering reassurance that everything would be okay. In her head, a bell-toned voice, resounded soothingly, '_It's okay to be frightened. Accept the fear, but don't let it own you. Have faith, Tamako.'_

Tamako took a deep breath, not suddenly at ease, but more sure-sighted through her fear. Facing the fear was the point. Sound throughout the room vibrated like a broken subwoofer over their skin and in their ears, pulsing like a haunting bass.

"What is she doing?" Naru yelled over the noise.

Masako winced, trying to focus on where they had said Mai was. "She's walking towards Juno Ichi. I don't know what she's planning!" The medium looked miserable, but it didn't cover even half the torment that Tamako saw on Shibuya's face.

Tamako clapped her hands over her ears, wincing at the repeated battering of her eardrum.

"You idiot, get out of here!" He shouted as loud as he could.

A laughing voice filled her head, and Tamako shook at the joyful, feminine sound. '_Shut up, idiot scientist, and let me do my job.'_

The angelic voice sounded like Mai, but how had she done that? How was she in her head, but hadn't heard it with her ears?

She couldn't hear anything over the noise, but she watched in rapt attention as a dark shadow manifested over the hearth. The boundaries containing the form writhed while the sound grew louder still.

And suddenly, the pulsing drum line stopped, and a small metal _tink-tink-tink_ sound filled her ears with a melodic chime throughout the room while a small object bounced across the floor, descended from the chimney. Black and charred, Naru lifted the piece from his feet like someone had thrown down a trophy at him. And she probably had, knowing Mai. He studied it shortly and nodded at John who started chanting his words of faith again.

* * *

Mai hacked like her lungs were on fire and then mewled at the pain in her throat. Lifting a limp hand to make sure her face was in tact, she cried again when she let out another cough. Tangy, dried blood coated her tongue. Her face screwed up in distaste as she tried to run her tongue against the roof of her mouth to scrape off the layer of filth. Another cough resulted in new blood—which disgustingly loosened the old.

Her eyes opened groggily and in her stupor, she gestured vaguely towards the sink. "Water," she croaked to the other figure. A mirthful male laugh filled her ears as she felt a paper cup pressed to her lips. She sucked in greedily and then immediately leaned over the toilet, retching painfully. When her stomach stopped convulsing, she laid back weakly against the wall and sighed tiredly, devoid of any care about how she looked or how she had let Lin watch her vomit. Mai blinked several times, trying to clear her hazy vision.

As she slowly felt her spirit reconnecting to her body fully, she took in her surroundings. Lin was settled on his haunches across from her, the bottoms of his pants darker than normal. She eyed the floor mournfully and then the bathtub which was full to the brim with water. She could see why Lin had laughed now when she had asked for water.

She surveyed herself then. Soaked with water, coated with sweat, and tired down to the aching tips of her soul, she limply reclined against the tub, happy to just enjoy the feeling of being corporeal once more.

Across from her, Lin's face was stretched taut with distress, or about as distressed as Lin ever got, which never varied further than a small widening of the eyes or the briefest parting of his lips. Even now, his eyes were flitting about her, scanning for some other sign of injury.

A soft snort of laughter wiggled out of her throat weakly, producing another cough. "Lin, your face looks so funny like that," she said lightly.

Lin looked pained in a way that said he clearly thought that her only other injury may, in fact, be loss of her mental faculties.

On her chest, Mai noticed a clear stain steadily growing larger on her shirt. Tentatively touching her cheeks, she realized she was crying yet again. "Sorry," she mumbled burying her face against her knees.

A standard ringtone shrilly filled the silence and Mai looked up. Lin's cell phone was dancing on the countertop waiting to be answered.

Hastily snapping it open, Lin greeted the caller with, "She's awake."

"_In one piece?" _Mai barely heard the voice on the other end say. No doubt it was Naru the worrywart. _What a great mother, he would have made_, she thought approvingly. _He is pretty enough to be a girl, after all._ A mental image of Naru chastising children and wrestling them into their school clothes, all the while dressed in an apron filled her head.

She chortled appreciatively, and Lin gave her another curious look. "Relatively," he replied slowly.

Mai braced herself against her hands and tried to sit upright. She winced abruptly when her hands felt like she had set them on a lit oven range. "Ow," she groused painfully.

Turning them over in front of her, she noticed that her palms looked like she had dipped them in red paint with little white pockets of blisters already beginning to form. "Crap," she muttered darkly.

Having a sudden thought, she beckoned enthusiastically to Lin. "Lin-san. _Lin-san!_ Let me see the cell."

He paused. "She's asking for the phone." He waited, listening to the other end. Then, cautiously, he handed her the phone with the oddest expression on his face.

Mai carefully took the phone in her sweltering hands and raised the phone to her ear. "Naru?"

Nothing, but the faint echo of people milling around in the background.

Mai couldn't contain her smile. She knew he was listening.

Jabbing a triumph finger in the air she knew he couldn't see, she yelled, "_HAH!"_

* * *

Kekkai: spiritual barrier, basically.

AN: This story is coming to a close (hooray!). Two more chapters will be posted. One on Christmas Eve, and one on Christmas Day. I hope you all have enjoyed this short journey as much as I have. :)

* * *

Next: Epilogue, part one: Unwitting Departure


	7. Epilogue, part one: Unwitting Departure

**Aversion Theory**

Epilogue, part 1: Unwitting Departure

* * *

12.24.09

* * *

The ride back to the house felt half as long with Mai mildly more talkative. She wasn't back to normal, but Lin thought that there was less of a dark cloud hanging over her head. She had even called Bou-san earlier with a quiet request for forgiveness. And as per usual, Takigawa had forgiven her without the slightest hesitation. Mai might not have realized it, but she had half the office wrapped around her little finger. No one could resist her polite, benign chatter or the way she tied them all together with a neat little bow long before anyone had realized it.

The closer they got to the house, the less Mai seemed to talk. She fell into a solemn mood, eyes rigid, posture unforgiving. She looked like an aged warrior on the cusp of battle: focused, cautious, and aching from old wounds, knowing very well this might be her last fight. If she weren't so small, Lin imagined Mai would have been a terrifying valkyrie.

Lin tried one last time to stoke a conversation before he would let the effort die. "That was quite clever of you. Using running water to induce a trance." He never took his eyes off the road, but Mai saw the proud look on his face, no matter how tiny its presence was.

Mai scratched her nose, smiling. "Bou-san used to tell me about the monks sitting by waterfalls as a form of mediation. I figured if I couldn't fall asleep, I might as well try the outrageous. Shockingly, it worked."

"Are there very many raging waterfalls, up on the plateaus where the monks train?"

Mai paused, then raised her hand with tiny gap between her thumb and forefinger. "Very small ones."

"A woman of many talents, Taniyama Mai," Lin announced. Mai blinked twice before flushing. Not at being called talented. No, she was much more concerned at being considered a woman.

"Really?" she asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Polite young women don't fish for compliments, Taniyama-san," Lin admonished, glancing over his shoulder to change lanes. They turned onto a one-laned dirt road. Dust flew high behind the vans tires.

Mai sulked at having been downgraded from woman to young woman. As the road bounced the car around, Lin managed a tiny smile.

Lin parked between two trees overhanging onto the Matsushita property. As he cut off the engine, he hopped out of the car and came around to Mai's door that she hadn't opened yet. She stared blankly at the wooden gates, thinking about things that made her mouth twist into a frown. He popped the door open and offered her a hand. She placed her bandaged hand in his and tenderly eased out of the car. Lin hunched over, arms extended when Mai backed into the side panel of the car.

Her sunny demeanor had disappeared under a new tension.

Gritting her teeth, she said, "I let you carry me to the car because you insisted and guilted me into it. _That is not the case now._" She raised a finger in warning. "If Naru sees you carrying me, he'll never let me on a case again. _You know it," _she finished tightly.

Lin quietly retreated with an unreadable look on his face and he let Mai hobble to the front door in peace. The garden was much the same, but Mai thought that the air felt lighter since they'd exorcised Juno Ichi's spirit. An old desperation had passed over the manor and a new era was rising in its place. Hopefully one that was far brighter than the last.

But that didn't stop the feeling as if someone had poured cement down down Mai's throat. It felt impossibly hard to breathe.

Mai winced as she took the front steps one step at a time. Her knee was a deep ache, but probably the least of her wounds. Her face had two bandages on it, one was the gash on her forehead, the other was on her cheek when the possessed Masako had embedded her nails into her. But her hands were easily the worst. The evil nature that had soaked into the object of Juno Ichi's anchor (that had turned out to be another Shaka-nyorai statue) over a number of years corrupting anything it touched, including burning Mai's hand with nearly second degree burns.

Mai tenderly curled her hands out of reflex as she thought about them. Lin had given Mai a generous dose of painkillers he'd bought at a convenience store this morning before they had set out for the house. Mai gratefully accepted them when her hands began to burn something awful.

Lin waited at the front door for Mai, but the door opened on its own revealing a tall, dark and black-clad Naru. Lin gestured for Mai to take the lead, but she wasn't watching him.

Naru slid a slow, appraising glance over the beaten Mai. Bandaged, bruised, but still defiant. Mai took one step in the door directly at Naru, challenging him to move. He did and Mai brushed by him, but not before she stumbled. Naru caught her with a quick grip on her elbow, steadying her as her knee gave out. Mai's eyes fixed on his hand like he was poisonous. Slowly, he relinquished his grip as she just stared at him.

Lin watched both teens battle in a silent war. He considered walking in by them, but decided to wait, allowing them to play their game for the time being.

Naru was the king of the silent game, but Mai's glare was ferocious, unrestrained. Her eyes narrowed into slits as she stared him down. Growing tired, Mai shook him off, rolling her eyes. Achingly slow, she limped down the hallway, disappearing without another word.

The two men exchanged a glance after she disappeared. Lin raised a curious eyebrow, prompting a reaction from Naru. The president of S.P.R. curled his lip in a rare show of some emotion that Lin couldn't quite pin down—maybe disappoint or guilt, laced with anger. The dark teen stalked off in the opposite direction, bested for the first time by his assistant.

And she wasn't even there to revel in her victory.

* * *

Masako was the only one in the girls room when Mai finally made it there minutes later. She slid the shoji shut behind her and leaned against the wall, breathless from the pain in her knee.

"Masako-san—" Masako gave Mai a cautionary glare. "Hara-san, forgive my impoliteness. I've been meaning to apologize to you, but haven't been able to say it until now. I'm so sorry for putting your life in danger." Mai dropped into the best submissive bow she could manage and almost toppled over when she couldn't balance the weight evenly on her knees. She grabbed hold of the shoji and tried again, holding the pose better with something anchoring her weight.

The medium sat on an old wooden chair, ankles crossed and her profile in stark contrast against the light entering the room blindingly from the window behind her.

"I'm so sorry!" Mai rambled on, feeling the familiar warmth budding at the corner of her eyes. "I was scared and didn't want to do it by myself. I hate feeling like the most _useless_ one in the group. Just once I wanted to be right over Naru, you know? I wanted to prove my worth, and Naru was right, I was terrified to do it alone," she confided.

The only reaction Masako gave was a tightening in her lips and the material of her kimono gripped between her fingers like it hadn't been before. She turned to Mai with tears in her eyes that Mai hadn't been able to see due to the sun.

Masako nodded sharply once, and the flagrant tears fell from her face. The medium stood and crossed over to Mai who was shaking in her own vindication. She put a hand on Mai's arm, a silent apology.

"Don't feel too bad, Mai-san," the medium said with quiet conviction. "I, too, wanted to help Juno Ichi-san. And while I was frightened, you gave me the courage to do that. Even though it was just the two of us, when it came down to what would happen in the end, I had no fear in me that you would let me down. I would never think less of you for making me better than I am. You trusted me, as I trusted you. There's nothing I hold in higher regard." With that, the medium left Mai in the room with an unpacked futon and a head full of thoughts.

* * *

The case was officially over. Masako and Lin had patrolled the house one last time and found no excess spirits. They didn't even find Tamako's grandmother's spirit lingering anymore. It looked like she had fulfilled her promise and moved on. Strangely, as they were leaving a scraggly, worn-looking orange cat appeared at the door. Tamako had wrapped up the feline in a crushing hug with a cry of 'Batsu-chin!' Apparently, when the evil was gone, the cat had come home to roost. The young teen had thanked everyone, even Naru, though her gratitude was mumbled. A week later, they would receive payment and note in extremely well-written kanji thanking them for a job well done. Tamako's mother wouldn't even sign her name to the note, but the check was hers. On the memo line of the check, 'community recognition' was scrawled, probably an attempt to place one last barrier between the truth and her name.

Before they left the house, they had even performed a traditional ritual on behalf of Shaka-nyorai at Mai's insistence. After they poured tea over the statue, it struck Mai at how familiar the tea smelled, exactly like that of the bathhouse when Juno Ichi had attacked her. Takigawa had told her that the hydrangea sweet tea was the ritual's replacement for bathing the Sublime child in ambrosia, the food of the gods. But in Juno Ichi's twisted perception, he had woven the smell of sweet tea into his world. The idea made Mai pity him all the more.

The car ride home was deathly silent. Lin didn't dare turn the radio on for fear that Naru's retribution would be swift, and Mai simply slept the whole way home. Ayako, Masako and John followed in John's car, none of them volunteering to ride in Mai's place, knowing what a fatal mistake that would be.

When they got into town, Lin rolled to a stop in front of S.P.R.'s office. Before the van was completely stopped, Mai had slid open the side door and hopped out with a quick and startling parting message.

"I'm taking two weeks off."

* * *

_Three weeks later…_

Mai stared at the ten-digit number on her desk. The piece of paper stared back. Mai had been playing the staring game with the poorly scrawled number that Madoka had given her two days ago and neither had yet to win. All it would take was a simple phone call, a quick dial, one question and it would be handled.

Mai folded another paper football into a small triangle and flicked it across the room, missing the trash can yet again. It joined its twenty-eight fallen brothers on the floor. Mai risked a glance at her bosses office. His muffled voice resounded from his office. He was on the phone again for who knows what this time.

The two of them still hadn't spoken since the case. A quick note here ('one client called today') and a ribbed dismissal there ('you can leave early today') was the extent of their communication. Even Lin was talking more than the two combined and _that _was a scary thought.

When Naru came out of his office, Mai fixed a bored expression on her face. If she didn't say anything and didn't look suspicious, he would leave her alone, just as he had been resolutely doing so for the past couple of days. He still probably wasn't over her declaring two weeks vacation without consulting him, but at least her hands were better, although still sensitive to the touch.

Something was different about Naru this time and a bored expression wasn't going to be enough to deter him. He didn't head to his file cabinet, he wasn't angling for the door, he was heading resolutely for her desk with an unreadable look on his face.

With practiced ease, he leaned against the side of her desk and stared down at her with a questioning look. Nervous, and worried about the number, Mai made to grab the piece of paper. Naru's hand shot out, pinning her hand to the desk with a resounding thump that echoed in the metal cabinets of her desk.

Mai unclenched her hand and blinked up at him, trying for calm.

Naru seemed to measure every inch of her with a low-lidded intent look. "Don't you think," he began slowly, "that it's a minor conflict of interest to be trained by another psychic-based company while working for another."

"We're scientifically-based, Naru-chan, you know that," Mai said with contrived innocence.

"_Mai._" His other hand banged against the desk and Mai winced.

Pursing her lips, she said, "I think it's more irresponsible to have an untrained, uncontrolled psychic out in the field, taishou."

"Don't call me that," Naru near snarled.

"Then what should I call you. Idiot? Moron? Jerk?"

"My name."

"You mean Shibuya Kazuya? Or maybe Oliver Davis?" she said viciously. "I don't even know who that is. Just some narcissistic bastard who has no regard for people's feelings—"

Naru released her hand, but cornered her as he moved around her desk. Slamming both hands down on either arm of her chair, he effectively trapped her. Mai's head snapped back as he roughly dragged the chair forward, close enough that their knees bumped—until he towered over her.

"No regard for their feelings—not when I know what's better for those people." His tone was rank with condescension and Mai resisted the urge to kick him in the shin, but only because her knee was still tender.

"You have no idea what I want!" Mai yelled, leaning dangerously forward and invading his personal space.

Without fully retreating, he leaned back in appraisal. "Enlighten me," he said acidly.

She bared her teeth. "You moron. I don't want to be a burden for everyone. I want to protect myself! Everyone ties themselves into knots trying to make sure I don't do something stupid—like slip in the shower and take my head off."

Naru snorted, "Likely."

It only served to enrage her further.

"And _YOU…_ _you _won't even acknowledge my feelings." She shoved a finger into his chest hard. He narrowed his eyes. "You're such a _coward._ You don't have to want me. You don't even have to _like me_, but don't you dare ever try to diminish the way I feel about you—don't you dare sully Gene's memory again!" Mai's breathing was erratic as she glared fiercely at him, unable to control the anger welling inside of her from all the pent up frustration at her sullen boss.

"Fine. You love me. That doesn't separate the fact that he's in your dreams. Don't lie to yourself by pretending you don't care for Gene." Naru had finally raised his voice, losing his composure as anger overwhelmed his endless logic.

"Fine," she exploded. " I love Gene! How can I not? He's always there for me! He does everything I want _you _to do! He acknowledges me, he's not afraid to admit that even he, _omniscient ghost that he is_, sometimes doesn't know things! He's everything I wish you were because _you're the one I want!_"

Naru, for the first time in Mai's short memory of him, looked shaken. It wasn't a drastic change, but the small way in which is mouth hung open, or how his eyebrows weren't knit for once. He looked like the question-filled teenager he was supposed to be, not the refined, composed president of S.P.R. that he walked around as every day. Mai stared at him, waiting for his response, but Naru was tongue-tied. The mighty Naru had been brought down by Mai.

She took a shaky breath, steadying herself for her next words.

"You want my dreams? You want that significance? Take it. Because I don't want them if isn't you," she said crossly.

And there it was, Mai's soul laid open and bared before him. It would be so easy for Naru to just crawl inside her heart right now and once inside, it would only take one little shove, one insignificant push and he could break her beyond the point of fixing.

The front door of the office clicked almost silently at Lin's retreat. He'd slipped out, trying to give them their privacy. _How kind,_ Mai thought acidly. Nothing would appease her today.

Mai froze as Naru leaned close to her and then reached a hand over her head. He coiled back with a tight look on his face and box of tissues in his hands. Without looking at her, he handed them to her. Mai wiped tentatively at her cheeks, unaware that she had started to cry. As she sniffed, the faint scent of Naru—ink and ground tea leaves filled her senses.

Mai's heart clenched painfully while she choked a sob. Naru regarded her carefully, unsure of how to proceed.

Closing her eyes, Mai made a decision.

"I can't do this anymore." She felt breathless and suddenly it was hard to see through her tears. "It's too painful." Collecting herself, she forced down another sob. Her hands darted out and started packing things into her purse.

"I won't torture myself like this." Mai stood, swung the purse over her shoulder and tucked the number in her back pocket absentmindedly.

"What?" Naru asked, confused. Too close to him, Mai backpedaled and stared fixedly at his chest, unable to meet his eyes.

Steeling her resolve, she looked up into the brilliant blue eyes of the boy she loved and said, "I quit."

* * *

Next and final chapter: Epilogue, part two: Aversion Theory


	8. Epilogue, part two: Aversion Theory

**Aversion Theory**

Epilogue, part two: Aversion Theory

* * *

12.25.09

* * *

AN: Merry/Happy Christmas to everyone who celebrates this holiday of spreading joy.

To others outside of this celebration, Happy Holidays and a rapidly approaching New Year.

* * *

On the list of things, Taniyama Mai, had the misfortune of tripping over, she would have to add: Labrador Retreiver, black. Somehow, Mai had gotten distracted enough (daydreaming was more like it) to miss the giant dog wagging its tail at her in the middle of the sidewalk—and the leash attached to its owner. The packages in Mai's hand hit the ground as she toppled over the animal and Mai heard the distinct sound of the eggs crunching as the carton struck the pavement.

Well, there went her ingredients for the tamagoyaki she had planned to make for Bou-san, and he had even asked especially for her to cook it.

Luckily, Mai had been wearing gloves and her stockings had taken the brunt of the fall to her knees. The dog, uncaring that he had just been trampled over, licked the tops of Mai's brown boots while she righted herself.

Mai scratched her head and rearranged some of the cans in her fallen bag. Egg yolk dripped onto her fingers.

"I'm sorry about that. I wasn't even watching where I was going," she offered, apologetic.

"Apparently not." The plump dog owner stuck his thumb between his first two fingers in an offensive gesture Mai had never been given, before the man walked away retreating down the street with his dog in tow.

Shocked, and tongue-tied, it took Mai a good, flustered half-minute before she yelled after him. "You raging—ugh, jerk! I hope your dog runs away from you to find a better owner!"

Scooping up the rest of her fallen food, Mai headed back to her apartment with a fierce swagger in her step, daring anyone else to say anything remotely derisive.

She fumbled with her keys, and as usual, had to wiggle them _just right_ in order to open the lock. Dropping the bag on the counter, Mai erased the messages racking up in her voicemail. The entire office wouldn't stop calling her. Ayako was worried, John had shared his condolences and wondered if she cared to talk about it, Masako gave her a sneering message about how there would be less competition for Naru and that she was thankful for that (it was Masako's subtle way of saying that Mai would be missed), and only Bou-san hadn't taken no for an answer. He'd called a few times, been ignored like the rest and had finally showed up on her doorstep and then _at her school_ when she'd refused to answer the door. She'd finally lost the battle and agreed to have lunch with him Saturday, but now she had to call him to ask him to pick something up as she'd dropped the main ingredients and didn't feel like cooking after the run-in with the dog owner.

She pulled a card out of the bag, partially covered on the front with egg yolk. She cleaned the top off, and shrugged at the shoddy work. It would have to do. Lin wouldn't care if there was raw egg on his card or not. Even though Lin wasn't calling to pester her like the rest of S.P.R., she felt bad that she hadn't even got to say goodbye. The others would be getting the same letters, save for Naru. Naru could kiss her ass (not that she would _ever _say something like that aloud) for all she cared at the moment. Soon after leaving the office, her sorrow and self-pity had evolved into anger. That was how she dealt with things and she accepted that maybe it was a bit of an unhealthy habit, but it helped her deal in the now… and she was okay with that.

Mai dialed out, catching Bou on the third ring. "Hey, Bou-san. I had a bit of an accident with your tamagoyaki."

"An _accident_?" he drawled slowly, stretching the word out.

"Yes, an accident," she snapped. "Can you grab some onigiri and maybe some shrimp kimizu from the corner store by my house before you come over?"

He agreed as usual, though reluctantly and told her he would be over in a half-hour.

Mai took the time to prepare herself for the maelstrom that was soon to follow, but first she had to batter down the hatches on her heart.

* * *

Mai had expected to cry. She felt like that's all she had done lately, but when Takigawa had come over to hear the whole story about what had happened over the last few weeks, she found she was stoutly unfeeling when it came to Naru.

Mai twisted the chord of her ancient home phone around her finger as she anxiously waited to be transferred to the person Madoka had given her the number of. Working in the field actively with ghosts, or not, Mai didn't want to be unprepared anymore. It was about time to rein in her powers, with or without S.P.R.

A kind, elderly voice came over the line and Mai was thankful. She wanted the furthest thing possible from a young, arrogant, narrow-minded boss.

"You must be Taniyama-san, the post-cognitive Mori-san has told me so much about."

"Ah, yes, that is me." She didn't add her usual: 'please call me, Mai.' She wanted to keep this engagement entirely professional and distant. No more people to get attached to, only to have to leave them.

"I'm Ebisu Minato. Mori-san said that you were interested in training your psychic abilities. She mentioned post-cognitive, but said that you would address the rest when you called. Pray tell, what other abilities do you have that you have a need for controlling?"

Mai hesitated, then started ticking off fingers. "I'm post-cognitive, sometimes pre-cognitive when it comes to guessing other's thoughts. I have a ghost guide who helps in the visions. I can astral walk, and lately, I'm beginning to phase through walls," she said quickly.

Silence buzzed on the other end of the line. "That's quite a diversity in techniques. And you have gone untrained in all of these for how long, Taniyama-san?"

"Three, going on four years," Mai told him, abashed.

He made a gentle tisking sound, deflating Mai's defensiveness. "Ah-ah, Taniyama-san, I am glad you have sought me out. This is far too long to risk such abilities being _untrained_. I admit, though, I have never come across one person with so many talents. I may need to call in others to help with your training if you are willing."

Mai tried to temper the enthusiasm in her voice. "More than willing."

"Then I would be more than happy to take you on as an assistant. You seem quite the catch, Taniyama-san." He paused, humming. "Though, I'm wondering how some of the larger fish like Britain's Society for Psychic Research haven't picked you up yet. Especially when it is Madoka Mori is calling in the favor, eh?"

Mai bristled at the mention of S.P.R.'s parent company. Naru's parent's company. The elderly man sounded curious, but wanted Mai to share the details as if he wasn't really asking for them. Tactful, she noted.

"I'm sure there are many good stories to be told potentially, but I only have one request, Ebisu-san."

"And what is that?"

"I prefer the term protégée, not assistant if you wouldn't mind."

Ebisu chortled. Mai thought it sounded like a good laugh. "I believe that can be arranaged."

Mai sighed, happy that the hard part was over.

"Now, as for transportation. As my office is over three hours away…"

* * *

Mai drained the last of the miso soup is one hearty gulp that Takigawa would have been proud of and Ayako would have scolded her for. At times like this, when she sat in her apartment, alone and separated, she thought of them more and more. What were they doing? Were they safe? When did John's visa expire? And how was Takigawa's band doing? Had Ayako given up on her latest boyfriend?

And why had Yasuhara sent her a pair of lacewing curtains? Literally, curtains with cartoon aphids painted all over it being chased by ladybugs. It was cute although very _strange_, but Mai appreciated the gift all the same, opting to hang them in her bedroom, so guests wouldn't have to see them.

Did Lin miss her tedious filing system? Did he even understand how to use? She'd spent days developing a system that kept old cases filed alphabetically in the cabinets behind her desk and the new, more relevant cases filed numerically in the small, black cabinets in front of Naru's office. She was sorely tempted to check in on them, just to make sure they hadn't screwed anything up.

Mai refused to ask the question that was constantly running through her mind, the one query that would end all her outward anxiety, all the pressure she felt budding in her life.

_Did Naru miss her?_

Simple, yet heartrending.

Trying to distract herself, she focused on her waning appetite. Maybe she wanted apricot, but vaguely she thought she wanted peanut butter too. Would the two taste good together?

A loud rapping noise echoed through her house, sending her flying off her kitchen stool and onto the floor with a silent yell. Heart beating rapidly, she waited as the knocking repeated twice. Mai didn't move. She'd already sent everyone a kind of farewell card. They had her number, but not many of them knew where she lived. Takigawa, of course, but no one else, really… and if it was Ayako, Mai really didn't want to speak to the miko. She had left her some really nasty voicemails a few days ago that Mai hadn't quite forgiven her for yet.

"Open up, Mai." On the floor, Mai stiffened while her neck started to ache because she was rigid with tension. Even muffled through the door, she would recognize that self-assured, condescending voice.

Naru.

It's the last thing she'd expected—oddly, it's what she'd fantasized about a couple times, but now that it was happening, she was panicking. She crawled behind the couch as if putting up one more barrier between herself and her narcissistic boss. It wasn't as if he could see through walls, but Mai wasn't taking any chances.

"I know you're there. Unlock the door, Mai, or I will." Scrambling, Mai stumbled to the door, her feet stomping heavily along the floor. She completely forgot that her knee still hadn't quite healed, but now she really didn't care about it as long as she made it to the door before he did something stupid.

Worried that she wouldn't make it in time, she called out, "Naru! Don't! I'm here! I'll unlock the door." Worry was etched clearly on her face as she whipped the door open. "Don't you dare use your PK, you idiot!" She growled, her tone completely the opposite of her panicked one before.

Naru stood in his calf-length black coat and a black and white checkered scarf hanging around his turtleneck shirt. Even with his monochrome sense of style, the boy was fashionable. _And beautiful. _It irked Mai.

Mai watched as Naru took in her own appearance, eying her up and down, in one long, assessing look. She glanced down at her completely improper attire. Bare feet, tiny white pajama shorts and a shiny red camisole showed under her fuzzy brown teddy bear robe. Embarrassed, she quickly tied the mid-thigh length robe shut with a staunch knot.

Naru idly thought that he found her bare feet the most charming.

Ignoring her state of ill-attire, Naru returned to the conversation, not easily distracted. "I wasn't going to," her ex-boss deadpanned. "You think I would potentially put myself in the hospital just to talk to you? Have you ever heard of idle threats, Mai?"

At his familiar sarcastic tone, Mai tried to shut the door on him. Unfortunately, Naru caught the door before it closed completely, slipping a hand between the door jamb, forcing her to either let go or slam his hand closed in the door.

Mai considered her options.

"Ow, Mai, I'm going to need that hand," he said as she continued to try to shut the door.

She wasn't pressing hard, but she couldn't deny the little vindictive pleasure she felt at that. Finally, she relented, letting him push the door open.

He waited in the doorway, rubbing the back of his hand. "You want me to put myself in the hospital—just to open your door?" he clarified with vague disbelief.

"No," Mai scowled at how bad it sounded, though morbidly romantic.

"I would have just come back," he said simply.

"Oh," she said dumbly.

He rolled his eyes. "May I come in?"

Mai regarded him with cautious eyes before she walked into her apartment, an open invitation for him to follow. He stepped into her apartment, pausing for a moment to take it all in. It was all wooden floors and earthy tones, brown, beige, neutral—perfect for matching the rugs she'd bought and the dark brown couch against the wall. He looked down the hallway—eying the door to her bedroom and the closed door down the hallway which he assumed was the bathroom.

—And were those green curtains in her bedroom? If so, he took back the compliments he'd been thinking about her simple approach to her interior design. Toxic green didn't go with anything.

Mai rounded on him, arms crossed. "If it's to get your last insults in, you can march yourself straight back out that door." She pointed for added effect.

Naru shook his head and tipped his head questioningly to the couch.

"Go for it," she gave him permission.

Mai fought the urge to offer him tea. Right now, he wasn't so much an invited guest than an unwanted intruder.

Mai picked up her own lukewarm tea and sipped at it. Naru sat on her couch while she took the futon on the floor.

"You've been avoiding me," he pointed out.

"That typically happens when someone quits a job," she hissed condescendingly.

He shook his head. "No, before that. You've been avoiding me ever since I came back from London," he countered.

"Imagine that," she returned caustically. "Avoiding the person who had vehemently denied the existence of your feelings—and then proceeded to tell you that you love someone else—their dead brother, in fact. I have no idea why I'm not tripping over myself trying to talk to you," she said with menace.

Naru pressed his fingers against his temples wishing for more patience. While he still technically believed he had been right, maybe it wasn't exactly the right way to go about it...

Inside him, he felt the twist of panic start to take hold. If he didn't handle this correctly, he would lose Mai forever. And somehow, this wasn't going the way he planned. Perhaps, it was time he cut to the chase.

Mai took another sip of the tepid liquid.

"Come to London with me," Naru said without pretense.

Mai sputtered into her tea. "W-what? I-that's insane. I already have other prior engagements," she replied, shaking her head in disbelief. She tried to speak twice again, but her mouth couldn't seem to match up with her brain.

"Cancel them," he said with straight-faced sincerity.

"I can't. Naru, I can't put off this training anymore. Who knows what will happen if I ignore it for much longer?"

Naru considered it. "It's true. You astral walk, you have visions—no psychometry yet though. You can transfer physical objects across a distance—amazing, if a little unheard of, you phased your hand through the cabinet a month ago," he slid her a vaguely annoyed look and shook his head. "How you thought I didn't notice _that_ is beyond me. You walked across a holy barrier, a feat in itself, as it's specifically designed to keep any kind of spirit from _passing through__ it_. Though that either speaks for Matsuzaki's lack of skill or—" He slid an accessing glance over Mai.

A telltale flush heated her neck when she knew where he was going with this. His brother had not too long ago questioned her virtue as well.

"Naru!" she yelled in warning. He closed his mouth and let it drop. She huffed out a breath in annoyance and relief.

"You need training. At the branch in London, we have an entire facility dedicated to research like this. We can bring in experts from all over, if you'd like. Come with me," he repeated.

Mai gaped at him, mouth hanging open unattractively. "_Why_?"

Naru raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Isn't that what you wanted? To be where I am. Well, that's where I'm going."

"Not why are you going—why do you want me to come?" Her tone had shifted to a sort of pleading sound.

Naru looked blankly at her, unsure of the best answer and how she would respond to any other one. Mai sighed, knowing it was better to set down her cup of tea before she decided to throw it across the room.

"This won't work," she said softly, as if she was the one to console him after everything they'd been through.

He tried another route. "My father wants to meet you."

She shook her head. "Not good enough." Naru narrowed his eyes, thinking hard about what to say.

"I want you to come with me."

Mai's heart felt like it was going to stop. Shakily, she asked, "Do you really mean it—because if you don't, as my friend…" she paused to lost train of thought and just tried to remember how to breathe. "As my friend, at the very least, you…you shouldn't…" Mai couldn't finish, suddenly choked up with all the emotions she hadn't been able to get out before when Takigawa had been here. Only Naru could do this to her—reduce her to a pile of tears by giving her what she had wanted.

"Don't cry, idiot," Naru scolded gently. Naru hesitated mulling something over before he rose from the couch and dropped onto his knees at her side. He wasn't sure he was doing the right thing, encroaching on her space, but he touched a hand against her arm in remorse. Mai tried to scoot away but was caught between Naru and the wall.

"Don't cry," he repeated, running a nervous hand through his hair. It spoke volumes for his own nerves.

Unable to stop it, Mai flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck, not caring that for the moment, it felt extremely out of place and _oh my god, _awkward. Naru was larger than she had thought. The black of his outfits thinned him out too much.

"Hug me back," she commanded, when he stared at her blankly. "This is called 'having a moment.' Don't ruin it by being awkward," she said as she rubbed the tears from her red eyes, sniffing heavily.

Hesitantly, Mai felt Naru slowly wrap his arms around her in return though she felt as though he was holding her like she was fragile. It was probably due to the fact that he was completely unaware of how to do _anything like this. _She gripped him tighter and wiped at her tears again.

She would try to teach him how it all worked. First, as friends, and then maybe...

Naru was always a quick learner.

Pulling her tighter, and earning himself a mortified squeak as she hadn't expected it, he said, "You're such a moron."

"Pot. Kettle," she murmured into his shoulder.

"You'll probably end up hating me." He pulled back from her, sitting on his haunches with a serious expression on his face.

"Possibly—most likely," she admitted.

"I don't know how to be nice."

"You'll learn quickly," she tried not to growl.

"You'll get sick of me after all the time we spend together. When you're being trained, I'll be going over that data, studying it. I'm going to know a sickening lot about you."

Mai's look turned fierce. "You are _not_ researching me. I won't be tethered up like some lab rat."

"Mai..." Naru trailed off, exasperated. "_I'm a researcher_."

"No!"

He hesitated. "We'll see."

"Funny, can you research me in Japan from London? I doubt your instruments will be that sensitive," she said crossing her arms.

Naru chuckled. "I'm sure by the time we're in London, I'll find something to blackmail you by." He leaned forward suggestively. Mai's cheeks flared pink and she retreated into the wall. He smirked victoriously.

"You don't blackmail, you bully."

"It's what you like about me."

"Right now, I really don't like you at all."

Naru quirked his head at her. Mai stiffened. He leaned forward, casually bracing an arm against the wall beside her head. Her shoulders hunched and she blinked owlishly at him beneath long lashes. Naru pursed his lips and wondered if she knew how cute she looked.

Leaning dangerously close, Naru said, "I think I could make you like me right now if I wanted." Mai's eyes drooped, watching his lips move mesmerizingly. She nodded her head tentatively and took a deep breath.

Sedately, she pressed a finger into his chest. "See—you bully." Naru actually did smile and it stole the air from Mai's lungs. It didn't really matter if Naru didn't love her. She doubted he would ever love her to the extent at which she loved him, but for once, Mai could tell that he was at least _taken_ with her.

He didn't smile for others. He didn't tease anyone else. And no one ever got under his skin quite like Mai did. But she could tell that in that moment, she clearly meant something important to him, but she didn't know exactly what she was to him only because he didn't know right then. She had no doubt that he would tell her when he figured it out though. And until, there was plenty of time to discover what made _him_ uncomfortable, what made _him_ squirm and most of all, what took his breath away because Mai figured he was long overdue for some payback.

Once in London, Mai would have to make some quick friends. Namely, Madoka who had the two dark and silent S.P.R. researchers wrapped around her finger and Mai wanted to learn her ways.

Rising up and balancing on her knees, Mai edged closer to Naru until she was nose to nose with him. Before he could recoil, she planted a quick kiss at the corner of his lips, missing on purpose. She stood up quickly and Naru reached for her with an odd expression on his face.

"Mai!" Naru said sharply.

He was embarrassed. Mai laughed full-throatedly and danced out of his reach as his arm darted out to catch hers. She grinned like the Cheshire cat, eyes gleaming devilishly.

"I win for tonight," she said in a sing-song voice, bouncing and hopping to an unknown beat while she made her way to the kitchen. And Naru let her have her minor victory because he knew there would always be time to get even...or he could get even now because as Mai often said: patience wasn't in the Davis bloodline.

He followed her into the kitchen.

"What are you doing?"

A clatter.

"—knock that off—"

"_Hey_! That's my favorite robe!"

"—_Naru!_—oh, hey wait—mmph—"

And perhaps, many, _many_ more chances for similar revenge.

After all, there would be no more avoiding him.

.....and turnabout was always fair play.

* * *

The End.

* * *

AN: Thank you so much to everyone that took the time to read this behemoth (46,000+), written in eight days (and the one-shot in tAoH which was also 10,000+ words). To me, that's very much a monstrosity (bc of the short period of time I had written it in), but one I've enjoyed immensely. Next, I'll be working on The Absurdity of Honesty. I have a couple Ghost Hunt one-shots in mind that I want to drill out, but I won't be able to post until sometime after January 12th. I'm heading to London, people. Have a great New Year!


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